


People Change, Love Doesn't

by Kateis_Cakeis



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bottom Steve Rogers, Coming Out, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, I basically rewrote everything from the 1940s to 2018 in the mcu, M/M, Post-Captain America: The First Avenger, SHIELD agents - Freeform, Spies & Secret Agents, Steve and Bucky are uncles to all the kids, Top Bucky Barnes, but with Steve and Bucky this time, everyone is bi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-01-24 02:54:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 119,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18562471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateis_Cakeis/pseuds/Kateis_Cakeis
Summary: Bucky didn't fall from the train. Steve didn't die when he jumped out of the plane. They survived.But suddenly, it wasn't enough to keep their feelings hidden. They had both almost died, only to come back stronger.Well, Steve was done pretending they were only friends, and Bucky was done too.Surviving the war, however, brought so many challenges. Being SSR agents, eventually becoming SHIELD, building a family with their friends. Living.What would happen as the years ticked on?





	1. We Almost Died

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so glad this fic is finished!! I've spent the last month and a bit powering through this monster, watching as the word count crept to 100k. So, buckle up for this mad ride from 1945 to 2018!! Maybe it was a bad idea to go through every decade, but I'm here now. And it's finished!!
> 
> Expect updates every day!!! I might even upload a couple chapters on the same day. I don't know yet!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this as much as I did :)!!!

Steve watched as the Tesseract melted through the floor, falling to the vast expanse of the sea below. He knew he had to get the plane turned around, so, he wasted no time in prying off his cowl and running over to the console. He searched the switches and buttons, and spotted one for autopilot, flicking it off. He almost didn’t, something niggled at the back of his brain that this was his only chance to avoid what the government would do to him after HYDRA, after the war.

But… he couldn’t risk himself. Not when Bucky was still breathing. Hell, only a few days ago, he’d almost lost him. That was bad enough, he couldn’t leave Bucky, not like this.

He located the radio and didn’t hesitate to make contact. “Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?”

“Captain Rogers, what is your…” Jim began to say, before he was cut off.

“Steve, is that you? Are you alright?”

“Peggy!” Hearing her voice was always a relief. And after they’d kissed… He didn’t know where they stood, but regardless, he knew she had his back. “Schmidt’s dead.”

“What about the plane?” she asked, somehow calm and terrified at the same time.

“That’s a little bit tougher to explain,” Steve shouted, readying himself. “There’s a lotta bombs, Peggy.”

“Give me your coordinates, I’ll find you a safe landing site.”

“I have an idea. Can you get Howard on the line?”

“Of course.”

While he waited, he franticly skimmed his hands over the console before locking onto what he needed. He could release the bombs into the sea. He was far enough away that it wouldn’t hurt anyone. Looking over the controls, the switch for the wheels were busted. He’d definitely have to crash the plane. He could jump out at a low enough height and swim to land. While he had never done anything so extreme before, he knew enough about his body to survive. Hopefully.

“Howard?” Peggy said.

“What do you need?” Howard’s voice crackled through the radio. Straight away, he was ready to go. Steve was glad for that, he always was.

“I’m on the plane,” Steve shouted.

“Why?! If you land that thing, it could explode!”

“I know. But if I release them into the sea, will it be safe? I can crash the plane closer to land and jump out to save myself?”

“Without a parachute?! Are you _crazy_?!”

He heard Peggy whimper slightly. “Steve, there has to be another way.”

“I’m a super soldier.” He closed his eyes, hands hovering over the buttons. “Howard, _will it be safe_?”

“Safe enough. Do it.”

Steve didn’t need to be told twice. He released the bombs in an instant and kept flying, watching over the map to see where he was. If he angled the plane… he could make it. He could faintly hear explosions as the plane flew further away from the point he’d dropped the bombs. He looked down the glass and saw waves rolling along, but nothing major. Not a tsunami at the very least. He knew he was somewhere over the arctic, and if he angled it right, he could crash by the coast of Greenland. Hopefully not far from civilisation.

“Is it done?” Peggy asked quietly.

“Bombs are gone. I’m finding a place to crash now.”

Howard laughed. “You’re insane, Rogers.”

“Yeah, but that’s why I was made a Captain in the first place.”

He got closer and closer to a suitable point. So, he prepared himself for his fall. With a breath, he looked over the map, trying to find coordinates. And, they were not easy to find. Most of it was jumbled and incoherent from the half-destroyed console. But he figured it out just as he was coming up to his destination. He read them off, hoping they were accurate enough.

“Got it,” Peggy said, her voice sad.

“Steve, you son of a goddamn bitch, what are you _doing_?!”

The air in Steve’s lungs was punched right out of him. He hadn’t realised Bucky would be there. He’d imagined he would still be fighting HYDRA soldiers. But… he was here. His voice had been strained, it was so thin. When he spoke, there had been a thud, like he’d slammed his hand down… Bucky wasn’t angry.

He was terrified.

So, Steve knew he had to persuade his friend. If anything, to put his own mind at rest. “Trying to save my goddamn life. I don’t know if I can land this thing, and if I crash it into land, I could die. If I jump out over water, I’ll live.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I do! Trust me, Buck.”

Bucky half screamed, like this was tearing him apart. Steve didn’t want to hurt him, but this was the only way. _The only way_. There was a sigh. “ _Fine_. But if we find you and you’re dead, so help me god.”

Steve closed his eyes… This was much harder than he’d thought. He tipped the plane downwards, heading to a fast and quick descent. In case this didn’t work though… He couldn’t leave his conversation with Bucky like that. There was so much to be said, and so much he couldn’t bear to say.

“Bucky…?”

“Yeah, Stevie?”

He let out a small whimper. “If I don’t make it–”

“ _Shut up_.” Bucky’s voice sounded so… broken. It brought tears to Steve’s eyes.

“You’re the best friend I ever had.” The plane was at a low enough altitude now, so he got up from his seat, taking his shield with him and smashed a big enough hole into the glass. As he jumped out, he heard Bucky say, ‘Same to you, pal’.

When he reached terminal velocity, the plane falling faster, he let himself rest. He could do this, he could survive.

\--

Steve opened his eyes and found himself in a bed. He still had his uniform on, and the room was warming but not familiar. He hadn’t expected his plan to work. It was reckless to even imagine jumping out of a plane and into the ocean would have worked. He’d never tried something so stupid before. But everything that happened on the plane, it was distant now. It didn’t feel real.

A woman came into the room and covered her mouth. “You’re awake,” she said.

Steve was glad he’d landed somewhere that both had people, and someone who could speak English. He wasn’t exactly an expert on the languages of Greenland. The woman was old, with grey hair in neat curls. She had soft yet warm clothes on too. Must have been cold outside, from what he knew of Greenland, it was more icy than green.

“Yes,” he replied.

She smiled. “We found you, on the shore, two days ago.” She paused, pursing her lips. “You’ve been asleep since then. We sent word to the air base. You’re American, right?”

Steve sat up and nodded. “Did my uniform make it obvious?”

“Very. Why do you wear something so alarmingly colourful?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Well, I hope you’re hungry for fish.”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t need food. I’m fine.”

“You crash landed, we saw the plane in the distance.” She walked up to him, smiling softly. “Do not worry. You must be starving, it must not have been easy getting to land.”

He closed his eyes, remembering the coldness of the water. “I swam… Must have passed out afterwards.”

“I’ll go get you a plate.” She rushed out of the room, and while Steve tried to get more comfortable, she came rushing back in with a plate and a fork. “Eat up and then rest. We’ll have transport ready for you tomorrow.”

He wolfed the meal down, feeling hungrier than he’d realised. The woman stayed with him, looking tired and curious. Steve supposed it wasn’t every day that a plane crash landed on the shores. He knew Greenland was used as a place to refuel, a quick stop on the way eastwards.

“Your plane wasn’t just any plane,” she said, carefully.

“No.”

“You’re lucky to be alive.”

“Yes.”

She fiddled with her hands. “We found you with cuts on your cheeks. The cuts are gone now… You’re… the myth, aren’t you? The American Super Soldier.”

Steve swallowed thickly, pushing his plate to the side. “Myth?”

“We all thought you were propaganda.”

“Yeah, I was, once.”

Slowly, she rose from her chair and took the plate. “Rest, child. In the morning, you will be a soldier again. For now, you are a man in need of sleep.”

“Thank you…” he said, smiling slightly. She nodded to him and left the room. He hoped the next day would mean some return of normalcy. Whatever normalcy was now that Schmidt was gone, they still had one last base to take out. And Steve worried what HYDRA officials would do in the wake of Schmidt’s death. Would they scatter? Would they appoint a new leader? Without the Tesseract, what were they?

He rested back and lay against the pillow, his heavy eyes closing quick.

*

_Steve was standing in the train, staring down at Bucky who was barely clinging onto the rail. But… he did nothing. He couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything._

_Just… stood there, watching his best friend struggle._

_Bucky tried reaching out, looking to Steve with pleading eyes. “Steve…!”_

_The railing creaked and broke away from the train. Bucky screamed so loud, Steve held his ears, screaming too. It stabbed at his chest, the pain of it. But he let Bucky fall, he’d just stood there and let him fall._

_He peered out, seeing nothing but Bucky’s broken body, blood pooling all around him. The floodgates opened, leaving Steve to cry own his own as the mountains rolled on by. Bucky only had Steve to rely on, and he’d failed. With all he was, his best friend was gone._

_Bucky was next to him, without warning, looking down at his dead body. “It’s easy to die in war.”_

_“Yeah…”_

_“Please… don’t jump out of a plane again.”_

_Steve closed his eyes. “I’ll try…”_

*

He woke with a jolt, trying to remember every scrap of his dream. To determine what was real. Why his mind had decided to haunt him with ‘what ifs’, he didn’t know. As he came out of the dream, calming himself down, he realised it was nothing but fear. Just some messed up part of his brain making him imagine a life without Bucky. When he almost fell off that train, it made Steve realise just how much he stood to lose. And losing Bucky would be nothing short of losing a limb, it would kill his soul, and everything he believed in. Because Bucky was his rock, his constant.

And all he had was luck to thank for Bucky being with them today…

He got up and looked over his uniform. It was dry and in good enough condition. His shield rested by the wall. Picking it up, he swung it onto his back and felt a little more at ease. He’d been so tired when he’d woke up, he hadn’t bothered analysing everything around him. It all seemed in order, he was safe here.

As he walked out of the room, he spotted the woman at the table, reading a newspaper. She looked over it, seeing Steve in the doorway. She gestured to the seat next to her, folding the paper and placing it down.

“I don’t think I caught your name,” Steve said, sitting.

“I’m Ebba. And you are Rogers?”

He thought better than to tell her his first name. “Yeah.”

“My husband is outside with his car.” She patted his hand. “He will take you to the base.”

“Thank you.”

“There is no need to thank me. You are the one fighting against evil.”

“Surviving in spite of it all is doing your part as well.”

Ebba smiled. “Go. They need you.”

Steve shook his head. He knew fine well the forces would be able to win without him. “Still, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Now, go.”

Steve stood from his chair and Ebba picked her newspaper back up. She had a strong will and was clearly not taking any bullshit from some soldier. He walked out with a strange smile and spotted Ebba’s husband leaning against his chair, in a uniform.

“Captain,” he said, “a Colonel will be very happy to see you.”

“Phillips?”

He nodded. “Come on, it’s not a short journey.”

\--

When they got to the base, Ebba’s husband ushered Steve in, taking him to a secluded room. He stayed silent as he guided Steve, his walk seemed to become more military as they got closer to their destination. Steve was glad Ebba had sent word, he supposed once Phillips knew of his coordinates, there had been an order to find him. After all, he was the US army’s most efficient asset, and losing him was not ideal.

Ebba’s husband stopped by a door. “They’re in there. Good luck.”

Steve walked in and was surprised to see not only Phillips, but Howard, Peggy and Bucky too. Phillips stood and had his ‘I’m pissed off with you but you did good’ expression on. An expression him and the team were familiar with. But given who was here, they hadn’t expected to find Steve. Howard was a quick pilot, probably got them there as soon as. Peggy and Bucky would have forced themselves to come, worried for him. He was glad they found him and not his body.

“Rogers, you damn well could have died,” Phillips said, his eyes icy. “But you didn’t, and you saved lives.” He looked to Peggy. “You can go kiss him now.”

Peggy shot him a look but got up anyhow, stalking up to Steve and pecking him on the lips. Apparently, that was as far as she was going to go with so many people in the room. Steve was glad, he didn’t really want to ponder how awkward it was to kiss her again with Phillips present.

“You’re alive,” she said, softly. “You scared me.”

Steve sighed, looking down. “It was either that or plunging the entire plane into the ocean with me in it.”

“You would have been willing to sacrifice yourself…?”

“His favourite thing to do is sacrifice himself,” Bucky chimed in, folding his arms.

Peggy glanced to him and stepped away from Steve. “Go hug your friend, Barnes.”

Bucky scowled at her, but not so much so that she’d notice. Steve did, of course, he knew what every minute change in Bucky’s expression meant. And for some reason, he wasn’t happy with Peggy. He couldn’t imagine why that would be, maybe it had something to do with the plane.

When Bucky got close enough to Steve, he pulled him into a bone crushing hug. He buried his face in his hair and Steve couldn’t help but hold on tightly. He closed his eyes, feeling safe in Bucky’s arms. The only other time they’d hugged like this was after Bucky nearly fell. It was a hug full of emotion, of all that could have been lost.

“You could have died, punk.”

“I’m not going anywhere, jerk.”

“You’re everything to me, I don’t know how to be without you,” Bucky whispered, so quietly, it was likely only Steve could have heard him. It was what he’d said to Bucky after the train. And now that he heard it from Bucky’s mouth, he realised how it sounded.

It sounded like ‘I love you, I can’t lose you’.

Being subtle about such words was needed with an audience.

Bucky backed away and smiled sadly at Steve. He slunk back into himself, like he’d just realised what he could have lost. And how easy it was to die.

Howard gave them a knowing look before approaching Steve, clapping him on the arm. “Just know, if it hadn’t had been this easy to find you, I never would have stopped searching.”

“That sounds extreme.” Steve wouldn’t have liked any of them looking for him forever. If he had died in the ocean, or if he’d been lost, there were more important things to do than search for him. Even if he was a super soldier.

“It isn’t. Project Rebirth is the only good thing I’ve ever been a part of.”

“Howard… don’t say that.”

“It’s true.” Howard closed his eyes, stepping away. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

Phillips thinned his lips. “I’m not going to get weepy on you, Rogers, but, I’m happy you’re alive too.” His expression turned blank. “You and the Invaders have an important job ahead of you.”

“What comes next?” Steve asked.

“Operation Undertone and the last base.”

Peggy lifted her chin. “There’s word of mysterious artifacts being stored there. The tactic is to assist in the invasion of Germany, so we have a better chance at taking down the base.”

“A HYDRA general by the name of Werner Reinhardt has apparently assumed control.”

“Great,” Steve said, already letting his tactical mind take control. “You’re sure it isn’t best to take out the base now?”

“The Invader’s skills are needed in order for Operation Undertone to have a better chance,” Phillips assured. “HYDRA is on its knees.”

Steve nodded. “Right. When do we get started, Sir?”

“We’re flying back now, aren’t we, Stark?”

Howard grinned. “Absolutely.”

\--

When they got back to London, back to the base, everyone he passed grinned. They were happy to see Captain America back, he supposed. Some even whispered thank yous. They’d have surely been dead by now if he hadn’t been reckless. At least he hadn’t been as reckless as he almost was, he could have sacrificed himself completely.

When they got to the main room, his friends were waiting patiently. The men that had his back through whatever HYDRA had thrown at them.

Dum Dum came charging up to Steve, grabbing him by the arms and shaking him a little. He laughed, heartedly. “Don’t be such a goddamn idiot ever again.”

Steve shook his head, amused. “I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Of course you can’t.”

Phillips moved away, going over to speak with some officials. He had no time to listen to reunions, after all. Steve had time though, these people were his life.

Monty kicked back on a chair. “It’s not the craziest thing you’ve done, Rogers, but it would have been a bloody shame if we’d lost you to a plane.”

Steve smiled. “Yeah, because dying is a bloody shame.” The idiom felt weird on his American tongue, Monty grinned at him.

Jim hugged Steve briefly, smiling slightly. “When I heard you on that radio, I thought that was the end for you. I’m glad it wasn’t.”

Steve hadn’t considered Jim to be so affected by it. But then, he supposed these were his friends. “Seems it isn’t easy to kill a super soldier.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Gabe grinned at Steve. “Glad you aren’t dead, Cap. We need you.”

“You’d do fine without me.”

“Yeah, maybe. But we wouldn’t want to.”

Jacques looked teary eyed as he approached Steve. “Never do that to us again.”

Steve twisted his mouth. “I didn’t exactly choose to almost die.”

Jacques huffed. “You chose to crash the plane.”

He didn’t have a counter argument for that. He did crash the plane on purpose, but how else was it going to land? “I guess I did.”

Peggy stepped forward. “Well, now that you have all said your piece, we need to talk strategy.”

At that, everyone snapped back into their war hardened selves. There was no rest in war, Steve and his team got lucky sometimes, since they were used for missions and weren’t always deployed. But still, it wasn’t like they had time, they were always strategizing. Being a part of a bigger operation sounded peaceful in comparison to everything they’d done. Not that it would be peaceful, it would be scary and uncertain. Invading Germany was no easy task.

Plus, they had an agenda, needing the allied forces to advance into Austria to take down the final base.

When the day wasted away, and the Invaders knew what their next task was, Steve made his way to his bunk. Each of them had a tiny room with a bed. It was better than nothing, and better than bunking all together. Its atmosphere was so cold in comparison to Ebba’s home, which was bright and warm. That whole ordeal felt so unbelievably far now. Being back made it easy to forget what the last few days had done, what it had taken out of him.

He shucked his uniform off and settled in softer clothes. He felt the need for sleep overwhelm him, but before he could get to his bed, there was a knock at his door. It was unusual, after a day like this. And when he opened it, he wasn’t really surprised to see Bucky standing there. He shouldered past Steve and paced into the room. Steve calmly closed the door and turned to his friend, who had worried eyes.

“You almost died,” Bucky said, brushing a hand through his hair. “And I almost died. I can’t stop thinking if I don’t say something, I’ll never get a chance to.”

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, wondering where Bucky was going with this. He knew how worried and crazed he was when Bucky almost died, but this felt different somehow.

“I…” Bucky moved towards him, cautious and careful. Like he was approaching a timid animal. “I’m scared we’re not gonna come out of this alive… I’m scared if we do, you’ll end up with Peggy and I’ll… lose you in a different way.” He closed his eyes, breathing deep. “And if I tell you the truth, I could lose you anyway.”

“Buck, you’ll never lose me. I’m here for you, to the end of the line.”

He sucked in a breath, his eyes settling on Steve, dark and determined. “Do you love Carter?”

Steve furrowed his brow, not seeing the relevance. “I like her, but I’m not sure I’m in love with her.”

“Right. Okay.” Bucky began moving towards Steve, his stride was confident. “I’m gonna do something, and if you don’t like it… feel free to punch me.”

“Why would I punch–” His sentence was cut off as Bucky cupped Steve’s face and kissed him right on the lips.

Suddenly, everything snapped into focus. Steve’s hands grasped at Bucky’s waist, pulling him close as he kissed back. It felt so natural to be doing this, like it was all they’d ever done. Kissing Bucky was everything and nothing all at once. Everything, because his senses were overtaken by the simple need to _have_ this. Nothing, because it was as effortless as breathing.

Bucky broke the kiss and stared into Steve’s eyes. “You’re not gonna punch me?”

Steve let out a humourless laugh. “No, Buck… No, that was– It felt right.”

“I didn’t think you would… not with…”

“Hey.” He cupped Bucky’s cheek, stroking his cheekbone with his thumb. “After all we’ve been through, we deserve this.” He closed his eyes, trying to keep his emotions at bay. “We deserve more than jerking each other off, pretending it ain’t shit.” He looked to Bucky, eyes firm. “We deserve something soft.”

Bucky let out a breath, moving forward to rest his forehead on Steve’s. “Yeah, Stevie… Something soft, I like the sound of that.”

With small movements, they were kissing again. It started slow, innocent and small. But tensions built up fast, and when Bucky swiped his tongue over Steve’s lips, he opened up to him, allowing Bucky as much as he wanted, to allow him everything. They began backing up, till Steve pushed Bucky up against the wall, rather forcibly, eliciting quite the groan from him. Which pleased Steve to no end.

Steve kissed deep before leaving a trail of kisses along Bucky’s jaw, he tilted his head, allowing Steve more access. As he tested the waters by nipping at Bucky’s neck, sucking a mark, Bucky groaned, arching off the wall, so much so that he pressed against Steve. And… damn, he was already half hard. It was only then that Steve noticed he was just the same.

He licked up to Bucky’s ear, whispering, “What do you want, Buck?”

Bucky made a noise, almost like a growl, and grabbed Steve by the shoulders, turning him and pushing him up against the wall. “You.” He cupped Steve’s face, kissing deep and dirty. “God, you almost died, doll. I almost died.”

Steve closed his eyes, moaning as Bucky slipped his thigh between his legs, pressing against him. “God, Buck, I need you inside me,” he blurted, not quite meaning to.

Bucky whimpered, pushing Steve further up against the wall. “Yes. Please, god, _yes_.”

Wrapping his arms around Bucky’s neck, Steve pulled him close and shoved his tongue into his mouth, groaning at the feel. Bucky’s mouth had always been a perfect thing to Steve, in art, in admiration of it… Now he got to have it, desperation filled him. He wanted to see his luscious lips suck at his nipple, wanted it stretched around his cock, wanted and wanted.

“You’re thinking,” Bucky whispered between kissing, playing with the hem of Steve’s top.

“Thinking about your mouth on my cock.”

“God…” Bucky lowered his hands, playing at the waistband of Steve’s soft pants. “Get these off.”

Steve pulled his pants down easily and he soon shucked off his underwear, watching as Bucky unbuckled his pants and tore off his jacket. Steve pulled Bucky back in, unbuttoning his shirt swiftly, pushing it off. They reeled each other into another kiss, walking towards the barely fit for this purpose bed. All items of clothing ended up crumpled on the floor, abandoned and forgotten.

Bucky pushed Steve back on the bed, and Steve couldn’t help but smile up at him as Bucky hovered above. At first, a sappy smile crossed Bucky’s face, till it collapsed into a smirk as he leant down, nuzzling Steve’s stomach. He left small kisses, trailing down to the tip of his now _very_ hard cock. Bucky licked up the shaft, sending a shiver up Steve’s spine, intaking a sudden breath. And as if that weren’t enough, while maintaining eye contact with Steve, Bucky licked his fingers, sucking them.

Steve’s eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from the sight. He reached up, taking Bucky’s hand, retracting his fingers from his mouth, into his own. He lathered up his fingers, watching as Bucky’s eyes fluttered, breath hitching with a whimper. Once Steve was satisfied with the slickness of Bucky’s fingers, he pulled away, lying back with a smile.

Bucky rolled his eyes with an amused smirk on his face as he leant downwards, kissing Steve’s cock as he teased a finger at his rim. Steve couldn’t help but moan loudly, throwing his arm over his mouth, as Bucky took Steve in just as he pushed a finger into him. He chanced a glance at Bucky, who was staring at him, eyes sharp, lips perfect over his cock. Everything slick and wet and _beautiful_.

Steve tried to be quiet – he had no idea how noise really travelled in this place – but the things Bucky was doing with his tongue, the way he hooked his finger, adding a second one and scissoring, stretching him open… it was enough to drive him insane. It was glorious, to have all that stimulation, to watch Bucky in this way. The small low groans he made as he took Steve deeper were sounds he could listen to all day. It was _everything_.

As Bucky added a third finger in, he worked up to the spot that made fireworks go off in Steve’s brain. God… he needed Bucky, needed him all. Needed him to fill him up, make him feel good. He whined and Bucky bopped his head once more before licking up to the tip, sucking once, coming off Steve with a pop.

“You want me inside you now, babydoll?” he asked, voice rough and husky. God, Steve would do anything to hear that voice all the time.

“ _Yes_ ,” Steve breathed, a little whimper lying in the back of his throat.

Bucky smiled, curled his fingers inside Steve while licking his other hand, slicking up his cock the best he could. It was almost seamless, the way Bucky removed his fingers and lined up his cock in one fluid action. Steve would have mourned the loss if it wasn’t for Bucky pushing in less than a second later.

They both let out a deep moan, and Steve felt blissful as Bucky settled, his hips flush with Steve’s ass. He leant forward, licking into Steve’s mouth as he moved in a small motion, as if testing the waters. Steve sucked on his tongue, rolling his hips to encourage Bucky.

“Sweet…” Steve murmured, breath leaving him, his voice hoarse, “please fuck me _hard_.”

Bucky shuddered, but took Steve’s words to heart. Pulling back, he thrust deeply and swiftly into Steve, withdrawing all the air from his lungs. The pace only quickened from there, the both of them having enough stamina for this, for all of _this_. It felt so good, Bucky thrusting into him, as if he was claiming Steve as his own. If he had more room for thought, he’d have considered that it was barely possible for Bucky to keep up to a super soldier’s need for a quick pace.

But all thought surely went out the window as Bucky hit his prostate, causing Steve to make noises he didn’t think possible. Moaning and groaning, _needing more_. He rocked his hips, matching Bucky’s pace flawlessly as he thrust into him _just right_. Steve was barely holding on, but he wanted this to last and last… Who knew if they’d ever get to do it again.

“Jesus, Steve,” Bucky whispered, breathless and gorgeous. “Look at you. So beautiful.”

Steve reached for Bucky’s face, caressing his cheek briefly. “You’ve never looked better.”

Something in his tone must have tipped Bucky off as he asked, “You getting close, doll?”

“I’m close,” he eked out as Bucky hit his prostate with such power. “God, _Buck_.” Steve couldn’t help but touch himself, he was ready to let it all wash over him.

“I’m close too, doll. Want us to come together.”

“Yes…” Steve could only feel pleasure, so ready to let go with it, when Bucky hit his prostate yet again, he swiped his thumb over his slit and _felt it_. “God, Buck, I’m gonna come.”

“God, yes, Stevie, come for me.”

That was all it took, his hips jerked as his orgasm hit him, his vision becoming nothing but Bucky as he too came, filling Steve up, making a face so beautiful, Steve’s mind blanked out. He felt Bucky pull out, collapsing down onto him, shuddering and gasping along with Steve. Everything felt perfect as they lay together, recovering from _that_. And, goodness, it had been more than Steve could have ever wished for.

Considering he didn’t know just how much he’d wanted to kiss Bucky till he’d taken the plunge for them. Thank god one of them had the courage. Because Steve _wanted_ this, wanted it again and again.

Steve slowly came back to himself, snuggling into Bucky as he too relaxed. They stayed like that, blissful and boneless. He knew if he made a move, his cock would perk back up. And another round was not ideal… not when this had to be hidden in the shadows. In a perfect world, no one would have to hide, but the world was far from perfect. Reality snapped into focus as there were vague, distant sounds outside the door. Luckily for Steve, Bucky was on the same page.

“I should go to my own room…”

Steve kissed him, sweet yet deep. “Go.”

Bucky smiled, kissing Steve’s cheek before hopping off the bed and quickly getting dressed. When he got to the door, he turned and winked at Steve before ducking out.

Steve lay back, staring at the ceiling. Now he had Bucky, he wouldn’t let go, not ever. But where that left Peggy, he didn’t know…

\--

Things from there progressed rather fast. The invasion of Germany was not a complete success, but it yielded results that were fundamental towards ending the war, towards victory. From the point they’d got to, along with the allies, Steve and his team pushed into Austria. They had one goal in mind, the base. All they had to do was have enough forces, and they did. Plenty in fact. It was like all of the SSR was there, ready to pack up whatever artifact they could find.

Peggy led the charge, Steve quite liked the idea of her taking down Reinhardt. They all knew Peggy was a leader, better than Steve was, in his own opinion. He took down Schmidt, it felt right for her to claim Reinhardt.

They burst into the base just as they were all evacuating, coincidentally, artifacts were all around them, begging to be taken into safer hands. Steve had his gun trained on Reinhardt, ready to shoot if someone didn’t recognise the signs early enough. He didn’t have his shield these days, on Phillips’s order, so he’d become accustomed to a gun lately. He’d be fast enough, if anything happened.

No one on their side was dying today, he was sick of people dying to this war.

After Reinhardt placed the Obelisk down, everything happened at once. SSR agents moved in and arrested all of HYDRA, if they got violent, they were shot down. Jim carefully handled the Obelisk, they’d all heard the stories and were definitely not stupid enough to touch it. Peggy made sure it got labelled as an 0-8-4. The first of its kind, but probably not the last. Steve went around, ensuring all HYDRA soldiers had been captured, as well as watching over the quieter parts of the base, so that no SSR agent could go rogue and take an artifact for themselves.

It was all over pretty quickly and went a hell of a lot smoother than any other base did. Most likely because HYDRA had been on its knees. But this was only the beginning of the end. The story wasn’t over till all of HYDRA was dead, and one way or another, Steve would ensure that would be the case. If HYDRA was allowed to regrow, they could become just as or more powerful than before. And he wasn’t risking that.

Bucky came up behind him at one point, looking grim. “Peggy tried to keep it secret but… I swear I saw a blue corpse.” He turned to Steve. “Looked like it didn’t belong on Earth.”

Steve glanced around. “Best keep that quiet, Buck. But… I’m not surprised. If I can exist, if the Tesseract could, then so could something… out there.”

“Like something out of one of the sci-fi books I used to read.”

“Exactly.” He sighed. “Maybe we’ll never know anything about any of this stuff… Though, it’s better to keep it in good hands.” He turned to look at the soldiers, the agents milling around. “I trust the SSR more than I trust the government.”

Bucky furrowed his brow, slightly tilting his head. “Because the government experimented on you? Because, pal, the SSR is part of the government.”

Steve huffed an amused laugh. “No. Because the government forced the only super soldier in existence to go on tour around the country. Shitty decisions like that cost lives.” He faced Bucky, feeling tired and sad at his thoughts. “Could have cost you your life.”

“True… But the SSR is more like a secret organisation. How can we trust that?”

“We’re on their side, that’s how.” He pursed his lips. “Besides, I believe in Peggy’s vision. And Howard’s.”

“To protect artifacts like these…” Bucky scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I think it’s people that need the protection.”

“Exactly.” Steve began walking out of the base and into the open air. “All we can do is hope organisations that wish for control and world domination are kept in the dark about these artifacts.”

“I’d hate to think what could happen.”

“We’ll be there to stop it.”

Dum Dum was in the distance, grinning. “Alright, boys! HYDRA’s officially off the map.”

“No, it isn’t,” Bucky whispered.

Steve sighed, glancing to the horrible symbol that hung above the base. “Yeah, not until they’re dead.”

“Especially not till Zola’s dead. He was Schmidt’s right hand.” Bucky had this dark expression on, like all he wanted to do was strangle the life out of Zola. And if Steve was honest, he couldn’t blame him, not after what Zola had done.

“We’ll get them one day.”

“We better.”

They re-joined the others and pretended to ‘rejoice’ over HYDRA being gone as artifacts were being loaded into vans. Peggy’s eyes snapped to Steve at one point, smiling bright, like this meant anything. But while HYDRA officials still breathed, it meant nothing. He smiled back regardless. The last thing he’d do was let people know what he was thinking. After all, how could a man who never wanted to kill anybody now want the deaths of everyone associated with HYDRA?

Simply, his feelings for Bucky. The fact that HYDRA had done such unspeakable things to him, Bucky ended up having nightmares about it more often than not. Steve could relate to the nightmare part, but Bucky’s were made worse by what Zola had done. He wanted to see blood run in defence of Bucky.

“What comes next now that HYDRA’s gone?” Steve asked, as much as they were rejoicing, there was still a war going on. Many battles had to be won yet.

“Winning the war,” Peggy said, sharply, lifting her chin, showing all signs of being a great leader.

\--

They kept pushing enemy lines back, they inched in, they worked together, forces seemed at their best. And Hitler was dead. And Nazi Germany had surrendered. Victory came out of nowhere, really, and all of a sudden, the team were back in London, celebrating in a bar. The streets were filled with people, waving the union flag, crowding every inch of pavement with tables filled with food. This was it, people coming together, hopeful once more.

The war, for the most part, was over. Thank goodness for that.

Steve got the round in and passed drinks to everyone. They were all in their dress uniform, Peggy included. A little ATS badge on her lapel, trying to pass herself off as an average soldier, not a spy. On a day like this, all of them were simple soldiers. Nothing more. They could be whoever right here, nobody knew what they’d done. Really, it was extremely classified. As classified as Bletchley Park, something Steve knew Peggy would never share with anyone out of her inner circle. Not that the team really knew anything about it, other than that she was stationed there once upon a time.

It took a special person to be pulled out of Bletchley, to become a spy, an agent.

All of them were special really, because they’d survived some of the most horrific battles the war had to offer. The fact they’d all made it, was a miracle. Even if Steve and Bucky nearly died in the process, they were still _alive_. Somehow.

Peggy swirled her whiskey, a small smile on her lips. She raised her glass. “To us.”

They all raised their glasses, smiles all around. “To us!”

It caused a ripple effect around the bar as some people joined in with their toast. Other soldiers, who had fought tooth and nail for this day. Everyone, for once, was happy. It was like humanity had found its way back to goodness. There was such a sense of joy.

Shame it couldn’t last.

The feeling of victory was wiped away as the Invaders were sent off to Japan, to fight that side of the war. It was right back into hell. It felt as if nothing had changed, that nothing would change as politics raged on Germany. And then… word of the bombs got out. And when it dropped on a city full of people, Steve knew it wasn’t necessary. Knew they could have dropped it on a military base and prevented from killing so many innocent people. He was ashamed of his country, and he knew fine well if they’d just been allowed to keep fighting as they were, it could have ended differently.

Then the second bomb dropped, on another city. And… Japan finally surrendered.

The taste of victory felt bitter now, it didn’t feel right.

When the papers were signed and it was official, Steve and the Invaders ended up in a bar in New York. Celebrating, even though the deaths of so many innocents was not how a war should be won, and they all knew that.

“To going home!” Monty declared. Because Monty would go home, and so would Jacques. But Dum Dum had already made it clear that he was staying with the SSR. Gabe too, and Jim.

They repeated the message of the toast, but none of them were too overjoyed. Howard was sitting at the bar, separated from everyone else, head in his hands. The team knew he’d been involved with the making of the bombs, and he looked wrecked at what his genius had helped to create. But if it hadn’t been him, it would have been someone else and nothing would be different. Howard merely held that guilt now.

Peggy was with them too, ATS badge not present. It made sense in London, here, not so much. She was in the background, watching over them like a worried mother hen. Really, she _was_ the mother hen of the group. Merely because she’d smack them upside the head if they were being ridiculous…

Steve let out a startled laugh. “I’m gonna miss being out in the field with all of you.” He turned to Peggy. “I’m gonna miss you crashing our heads together when one of us got too reckless.” He smiled. “And Howard, I’m gonna miss you aggressively fixing our uniforms when shit went south.”

Howard looked to them and laughed, surprisingly. “All those uniforms are precious and belong in a museum!”

“Who knows, Stark,” Dum Dum said, with a smile. “Maybe they will one day.”

“I hope so.”

Peggy took a sip of her whiskey. “You buffoons will always need me to crash your heads together. If you lot are together, trouble is bound to follow.”

Jim scowled. “No… We found trouble, it didn’t find us.”

“In war, do any of us truly _find_ trouble?” Gabe said, philosophically.

All of them turned to stare at him, before they all nodded or murmured in agreement.

Monty, at one point, grinned. “I miss England, but I’ll miss you lads more. It’ll feel weird to not be with the SSR.”

“The SSR isn’t going anywhere, Monty,” Peggy said. “I’m sure Phillips will welcome you back if you ever want to.”

“Hmm, yeah.”

“And Jacques, same to you.”

Jacques shook his head. “I’m staying out of the fight.” He turned to Howard. “But I’ll never hesitate to help you make new bombs.”

Howard raised an eyebrow, shook his head and sighed. “How do you feel about being a weapons designer and or tester, my friend?”

Jacques smirked. “Set up an office in France and I’ll think about it.”

“Give me a couple years and I’ll do just that.”

Steve rolled his eyes but found the conversation between them all flowed so freely it was like the war hadn’t happened and they were all just good friends. But it had, and now the majority of them were not leaving the SSR, they would be agents, they would keep fighting whatever there was left to fight. They would learn to be more than they were in that moment.

The war had changed them and their ambitions.

Steve and Bucky ended up alone in the bathroom at some point. No one else was there, so Bucky grabbed Steve’s jacket and pulled him in for a kiss. They hadn’t really had a chance to develop their relationship during the final part of war. All of it was too hectic. So stolen kisses in the dead of night and keeping quiet as they jerked each other off was all they’d had. Suffice it to say, tension had been building between them, wanting nothing more than to get their hands on each other.

Steve heard footsteps approaching before they even got near the door. Both he and Bucky broke apart immediately, turning to pretend they were washing their hands. Strange that Bucky had heard the footsteps too, must have been louder than Steve thought.

“You guys have been a while,” Monty said, a teasing tone to his voice. “You haven’t been gossiping, have you?”

“Oh, yeah,” Steve retorted. “Been talking about how you and your English sayings were always confusing.”

Bucky hummed in agreement. “Like you were speaking another language.”

Monty rolled his eyes. “I think you forget that Jacques couldn’t speak any English for the first three months of our team forming.”

“That is true.”

As Monty went to the urinal, Steve and Bucky shared a look of impatience before leaving the bathroom. They’d sort out the crawling tension once they’d spent ample time with everyone. They’d have each other for years yet, for some of their team, who knew when they’d see them next.

\--

Phillips called them in the very next day, proclaiming he had something important to tell them. Of course, neither of them had a clue what it could be. The war was over and the SSR was reorganising their affairs. So, why they were there. They had no idea.

Phillips had summoned them to the New York Bell Company Office, and once they got there, he ushered them into a dark room. It was like he wasn’t meant to be there. After all, this district had their chief, and Phillips had his own place. Camp Lehigh. It was as SSR as most things come, and Steve knew they were planning for it to be more.

He closed the door behind them. Steve and Bucky sat down on the chairs in front of the desk. It was certainly unusual, and absolutely as secret as it could be. Phillips had his eyes on the door once he sat, like he thought someone would burst in.

“I have a mission for you both,” he began, lips thinned. “It’s dangerous and as secret as it gets.”

“Just us two, Sir?” Steve asked, it wasn’t like the Invaders ever did anything public. It had all been secret anyway. What could the two of them really achieve?

Phillips nodded. “Your combined skills will allow for both stealth and effectiveness. Any more than two could raise suspicion.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “What does the mission entail?”

“Just like how some Nazis are being brought in and prosecuted, I believe it’s best to do the same with HYDRA.” Phillips paused for a beat. “But we won’t be putting them on trial.”

“We’ll be killing them.”

“Yes… When we arrested Reinhardt, I became suspicious of their number one phrase.” He paused. “Many escaped, and I worry they will be the two heads that will replace the one.”

“When do you need us to go?” Bucky was quick to ask.

“Do you need a break from war? Because I will allow it, if you need it.”

Steve glanced to Bucky. “It’s not war, it’s covert operations.”

Bucky gave a slight smile. “It’ll be like a break, Sir.”

“Right.” Phillips thumbed a file, opening it up and turning it to Steve and Bucky. “This is Kleiber.”

“I know who he is,” Bucky said, bitterly. “One of the soldiers who cracked the whip… back when we were captured.”

Phillips looked a little sad at that. “He escaped along with Vincent Beckers to Sweden.” He pulled out a pile of files. “Plenty of HYDRA agents escaped to Scandinavian countries. You’ll be taking them out first, then, you’ll go after those who escaped to other continents. Sweden will be where you’ll live, for now.”

“When are we going?”

“In a weeks’ time.”

“Wait,” Bucky said. “What are our covers?”

“We’ve faked papers for the both of you.” Phillips removed them from a draw and placed them on the table. “Passports included of course. Rogers, you’re Staffan Adelsköld. Barnes, you’re Borje Törnblad. You’re both Swedish, the rest is in the file.”

Steve picked his up, skimming it briefly. “Guess we better work on a Swedish accent.”

“I’ve arranged for a Swedish agent to meet with you and teach you the basics. He’s waiting outside.” Phillips stood. “You’re both very capable at learning languages, I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Bucky reached forward for his own file. “I’m sure we will, Sir.”

“Take the files, research and get to know your targets.” He rounded his desk. “I’ll see you in a weeks’ time, 0800, at your apartment.”

“Understood, Sir,” Steve said, and Phillips left. He turned to Bucky, reading briefly about Staffan and his supposed job as an artist. At least Steve knew how to fake that cover. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s what we wanted. Did you know homosexuality is legal in Sweden?”

“It is?”

“Yeah, heard some soldiers talk about it. Happened last year, if you’ll believe it.”

“Good for Sweden I guess.”

“Means we can be whoever we want, without consequences.” Bucky collected up the rest of the files, slipping them into a bag that Phillips had left on the desk. “We shouldn’t leave the agent waiting too long.”

“Probably not.”

The agent took them to a light room, stating that learning languages was easier when the environment was peaceful. They spent around two hours practicing basics before they took a break. By then, Steve had most of it memorised and was beginning to be a little more than useless. Bucky, surprisingly, was the same. He’d been good at picking up the odd German word during the war. And he’d been even better at this.

They spent much of the next week perfecting the most common phrases they’d need, as well as improving on their accents until it was as close as it could be to the Swedish agent’s. A German agent helped out too, since they’d need to have a crisp German accent and know enough German to pass off as HYDRA, if they ever needed to for their covers. Or if they were going in for the kill.

It was all very precise; Steve and Bucky took it in their stride. Learning quick.

On the night before they’d leave, they settled into bed in the apartment the SSR set up. Their old one had been long rented out, and they had nowhere to live when they got back. All agents had been given temporary accommodation. So much so, that Steve and Bucky’s had only one bed and a mattress on the floor, which stayed abandoned. They were at no risk of anyone seeing them there.

And if someone did see, they could site shellshock and move on.

Steve found comfort in being wrapped in Bucky’s arms. He settled down on the pillow and let out a sigh. “Tomorrow, we’ll be different people.”

“Because of the identities?”

“No, because we won’t be soldiers… We’ll be spies.”

Bucky scoffed. “Always gotta be dramatic.”

“Yeah… But it’s different, and you know that.”

“We’ll be the best damn spies the SSR has ever seen.”

Steve smiled at that, appreciating Bucky’s vote of confidence. “You’re right.”

He succumbed to sleep not long after that.

\--

When he woke, he could feel Bucky pressing against him, sleeping peacefully. The sun peeking through the curtains cast down on them softly. The room had a warm comforting glow to it. Like this was safe, like this was home. And this was probably the last time they’d ever wake up here.

“Morning,” Steve whispered as he felt Bucky shift.

“Morning,” Bucky replied, stretching. “We’ve got a hell of a day ahead of us.”

That was all the relaxation they allowed themselves before getting changed and collecting up their bags. They ate briefly, having no time to mess around. And when they headed out of their building, they found Phillips on their doorstep, an inconspicuous car waiting for them. There was a strange atmosphere around them. Phillips stood tall, but looked relatively normal in a suit, nothing to show he was anything more than any other person.

“Staffan, Borje, you’ll be in Sweden in no time. Good luck on your journey.” Phillips stepped away, leaving Steve and Bucky to pile into the back of the car.

The driver sped off immediately, there was little conversation. Steve stared out the window the entire way, watching as they drove into other neighbourhoods. Seeing kids playing on the street, narrowly avoiding cars. Seeing teenagers on doorsteps, reading magazines, trying to hide the fact that they were really reading comics. Mothers pushing their baby’s in prams. Men in suits heading to work.

It all seemed so normal now. Like a war had never happened in the first place.

But it had, and Steve had no idea when he’d see New York again. He let it all sink in, let his brain memorise every detail.

They were at the airport before he knew it. Peggy was waiting for them, standing slightly beyond the doors. She was certainly alone, so this was a social call. A goodbye, really. Steve was fairly sure that Peggy thought they were in a relationship, yet they had never confirmed it between themselves. Things would be different anyway, with Steve leaving for god knows how long. He knew she’d been a good cover to use, but if he was to be the good man people claimed him to be, he had to break it off with her now. Before things got too complicated.

Peggy walked up to Steve, pulling him into a hug, kissing his cheek. “Be careful. I love you,” she whispered into his ear.

Steve swallowed thickly. Oh… shit. He hadn’t thought that things had progressed for Peggy in that way… This was not good for him or the broken heart Peggy would gain. He pulled back, looking to her with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, Peggy, I don’t feel the same.”

She let out a shaky breath, looking devastated. “Oh…”

“I’ll tell you about it when I get back, I promise.” He sighed deeply. “Stay safe, Carter.”

“Good luck, Rogers.” She stepped away but kept eye contact. “I’ll keep you up to date.”

“Thank you. I’ll do the same.”

Peggy stood tall, lifting her chin. She nodded towards Bucky before walking off and leaving them on their own. This was it, they were disconnected from everyone now. They wouldn’t encounter another SSR agent until they were in Sweden, until they had more leads. Steve turned to Bucky and clenched his jaw. Undercover… something new in their chaotic world.

“We’ll miss our flight,” Bucky said, Swedish accent clear.

Steve glanced to the security of the airport. “Yes, let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on [tumblr! :D](http://kateis-cakeis.tumblr.com/)


	2. Changed, Have You?

The SSR had certainly been generous with their living arrangements. They were in the suburbs of the city Kleiber was last known to be in. It was a nice little house they’d been given, and the study room was equipped with the latest technology to aid in their investigation. It had two bedrooms, which was not surprising, but given their last accommodation, it almost was.

And… that was it really. They had the information they needed, they had weapons they’d secretly packed and they had each other.

Finding anyone in a country as big as this was difficult enough. Never mind their targets being ex-HYDRA soldiers.

After they’d unpacked and made the house look more homely than showy, the two crashed on the couch. Steve was feeling overly tired from both the trip and sorting out the house. It was easy to make it look like they had been there for a little while. Rather than turning up out of nowhere. Or at least make it look like they were in control of their new lives or something mundane for everyday people.

“What should we do first?” Bucky asked, eyes half closed.

“Mm… We should ask around in the city, we have Kleiber’s picture, that should help.”

“Well, Borje is a police officer, right?”

“Right. Should be easy to investigate that way without looking too suspicious.”

Steve sat up from his slouched position. “We should get introduced to our neighbours, make it sound like we’ve been holed up in here sorting our place out. That way, if someone comes looking for Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, our neighbours will only know good friends Staffan and Borje.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Bucky sunk further into the couch. “But I’m gonna nap first.”

“Me too…”

Yawning he stretched back and slept. Everything they were, it was morphing and changing. It leaked into Steve’s dreams, the image of him dark and twisted. His head clouded with a paint like texture, as if his artist’s mind was showing him what he truly was. Captain America was washed away by water, revealing an angry cut and bruised 5’4 Steve Rogers. All he was, all he’d ever been, was someone trying to be good, to control his anger for the better of the people. The small him was painted over, larger with a cut over his eyebrow, healing visibly.

Now, he couldn’t be hurt the way he used to be. His brain knew that. And his brain knew he was a whole lot more dangerous. He knew what he was, and he was scared for what he’d become. This _mission_ was nothing more than a string of people that needed to die to protect the world. But this wasn’t a war anymore… There was little to justify it beyond HYDRA.

Steve was well aware of his dream now, so much so he let it continue, avoiding waking up. The larger painted version of him was brushed through with a cross. In the expansive dark room, the angle changed, showing a Steve Rogers with knives in his hands, multiple guns stored on his body, torn shield at his side.

While the shield was more of a symbol to the public, few knew how deadly it could be. But if he was going to do what Phillips needed him to do, he had to change. No longer could he use a symbol, he had to be able to use anything he could _find_.

Blood splatted on the painted Steve, the knives became bloody, empty bullet cases lay at his feet.

He woke to Bucky shaking him. The dream was less startling than it should have been. He already knew he was changing, had been since he crashed the plane and lived. Knew the same thing was happening to Bucky… They weren’t who they were before the war. Steve realised that now. They weren’t better for it, but they were different.

“Let’s go pretend, Staffan.”

Steve sat up and smiled. “Lead the way, Borje.”

Outside, it was a gleaming start to the afternoon. The sun shone down on their houses, it was all delightful. One of their next-door neighbours was outside, piling rubbish into a bin. He turned to see Steve and Bucky, lighting up. It was strange to be excited at newcomers, but then again, Steve knew nothing of the guy yet. Hell, they knew little about who’d lived in the house before them.

“Finally!” the man said, clear Swedish rolling off his tongue. “It’s good to see young people replace old.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, I heard there was an old woman living here before she died?”

The man nodded. “Her husband died, and she was left on her own… She was in that house for days before anyone realised she was dead. It was my mistake really.” He shook his head, as if ashamed by the memory. “I’m Kolbjorn. Nice to meet you.”

Steve smiled. “I’m Staffan.”

“And I’m Borje.” Bucky reached forward to shake hands with the man. “We’ve actually been spending the last couple of days getting unpacked.”

“It’s unusual for two men like you to be so responsible.” Kolbjorn laughed. “I was never like that when I was young.”

Steve pointed to the house on the other side. “Who lives there?”

“A family with young children. They play on the roads sometimes, so be careful.”

Bucky’s eyes snapped to their car on the side of the road. It was useful to have and far more than the SSR should have given them. “I’ll keep an eye out. Thank you.”

“I do hope you’ll like it here. It’s a wonderful place to live.”

“I’m sure we will.” Steve gave his best award-winning smile. “We’ll see you around, Kolbjorn. We have some errands to run.”

“See you.”

Steve and Bucky got into their car and breathed a sigh of relief. Being out of sight from Kolbjorn as Bucky pulled out onto the road, felt like Steve was pulling off a mask. It was so easy to pretend, too easy. It was lying, truly it was, but it wasn’t at the same time. There was truth to it, Steve was sure they’d enjoy this place, that was no lie. But calling what they were doing an errand was foreign. In the war, everything they did was out in the open.

They were spies now, instead of soldiers. Steve couldn’t say he was excited to find out the differences.

\--

Bucky sauntered up to the bar like this was his day job. Steve quite enjoyed watching him, like this was his element somehow. He showed his identity and pushed the picture of Kleiber towards the bartender. The bartender looked over the picture, furrowing his brow, as if trying to scour his mind for the face.

“Sorry. I haven’t seen him before.” The bartender beckoned over another staff member. “Do you know this man?”

The other staff member looked long and hard. Steve saw no recognition in his eyes. “Sorry. We get a lot of people here… Try the bar a little way from here. It’s called Ludvik’s. If he’s a regular there, they’ll know.”

Bucky smiled. “Thank you.”

“We’re happy to help,” the bartender said.

Steve and Bucky quickly left the bar and began walking towards Ludvik’s. They’d been at this all day, going from place to place, showing Kleiber’s picture around like it was candy. Steve knew this tactic was a long shot, but it was their best chance at finding someone who might know him or might be able to tell them if he’s skipped town or not.

“Kleiber is slippery, he might be keeping out of sight,” Bucky said, eyes firm.

“Sure. But every once and a while, Nazi scum need a drink.” Steve sighed. “It’s only our first day. It’ll get easier.”

“All things considered, I’m having a decent time.”

“That’s good. Because if we’re lucky… Kleiber will be dead by the end of the day.”

Bucky’s step faltered. “Is this who we are now?” He stopped still. “Are we just people who’ll go from target to target?”

“Only till HYDRA is gone… Then we can find a different role in the SSR.” Steve glanced around, noting how few people were on the streets. It was safe to talk. “But our best chance at making sure HYDRA dies with Schmidt is to kill everyone else involved.”

“Well… we better wipe them out before anything can progress.”

Steve looked to Bucky, seeing hesitation there. They both knew if they did this, there was no coming home from the war.

They made their way into Ludvik’s. Bucky wasted no time in grabbing the bartender’s attention, showing his fake ID and getting the guy to look at the picture. Steve came up from behind, his eyes scanning the bar. Kleiber wasn’t there, which was a shame. But like the last bartender had said, the people in here would have a better chance at knowing than not.

“Oh, yeah,” the bartender said. “Comes in here a few times a week.” He pointed to one of his customers, sitting in a corner. “He’ll drink with him and his friends.”

Bucky nodded. “Thank you.”

The bartender smiled and went back to work.

Making their way over to the guy in the corner, Steve noted that he wasn’t from the files. The likelihood of him being HYDRA was low. But truly, that all depended if he gave them information. If he did, it was unlikely he was their enemy. If he didn’t…

“Seen this man?” Bucky asked, holding the picture up.

The guy leant forward and peered at the picture. “Ah, yes. I’ve seen him.” He sat back. “He’s not from around here. Looks like he doesn’t know what peace is.”

Bucky tucked the picture into his pocket. “The bartender says you drink with him?”

“Yeah, he comes in here every other night. Once, I got talking with him, felt sorry for him. And now, he trusts me.”

Steve folded his arms. “You’re betraying his trust now.”

The guy shrugged. “I noticed something off about him. His accent sometimes has a German twang to it.”

“What do you know?” Bucky asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I know he’s bad news. I don’t trust him, so do what you want.” The guy stood, taking his drink with him. “He’ll probably be in tonight.”

“Thank you,” Steve said. “For all your help.”

“Glad to be of service.” He winked and walked off.

“I feel like he’s intelligence,” Bucky whispered as the guy stumbled away.

“Probably. Maybe.”

They sat at the bar, positioned so that the door was clear to see. They soon ordered two beers and sipped at it conservatively. While Steve couldn’t get drunk, Bucky could. Not that Steve had seen him get drunk since before the war, but that hardly mattered, Bucky had been a sergeant, and he’d always had a high- tolerance to some degree. Anyhow, they still had a job to do, and doing anything but that – even drinking – was simply not allowed.

“Kleiber wasn’t the soldier that hurt you, was he?” Steve asked, gaze still on the door.

“Nah. Lohmer is the one you’re thinking of… Kleiber just cracked the whip rather than cracking our bones.” Bucky was quiet for a moment. “Who told you about that?”

“Dum Dum, when he was worried about you. Shortly after our first mission.”

Bucky leant forward, resting fully on the bar. “Why was he worried?”

“Because you slept less, you were snappier and you… burst through a door, almost bringing it off its hinges. He thought you were angry at the world.” Steve sighed, this wasn’t the best time to be talking about this. Not really.

“I was… But that’s not the reason why the door almost came off. Was why I slept less though.”

“Hold on… What was the reason–”

Steve cut himself off as the door opened. And there was Kleiber, in all his disgusting being. Bucky shifted beside him, staring at their target, his face settling in his mission mode. Bucky always looked dark like that, and Steve knew fine well there was something in them both that was ready to bleed out. HYDRA had created horrible weapons, but worst of all, they’d sent two once innocent Brooklyn boys down a path they couldn’t come back from.

“How are we doing this?” Bucky whispered, leaning closer to Steve.

“Drive to a different town. Take him to a back alley, one shot to the head.”

Kleiber came up to the bar, and the guy from earlier approached him with a smile. He rested his hand on Kleiber’s back, and the two exchanged greetings, from what Steve could hear. Then, the guy pointed towards them. Kleiber followed his line of sight and raised his eyebrows at them. He said something to the guy, who laughed and walked off. Once Kleiber got his whiskey, he approached Steve and Bucky with a small smile.

“My friend said you’re new here.” Kleiber sat on a stool. He didn’t ask permission, he just inserted himself into their lives. “I can relate to that.” His accent certainly had a little German in it, you could so clearly hear it, if you knew what you were looking for.

Steve took the lead, even adding a little German hint to his Swedish speech as well. “Yes, we arrived yesterday. We’ve been trying to settle, to find a home.”

Kleiber eyed them. “You’re running from something?”

“Things happened,” Bucky said, sighing. “We had to get out before… Well, before.”

“Sounds like you have had a similar experience to me.”

“You’re running from something too?” Steve wondered, seeing what beans Kleiber would spill.

“Oh, yes… I had to. If I didn’t, I would be dead.”

“Why would you be dead?”

Kleiber downed his whiskey and gestured for another. “Things… happened.”

Bucky glanced to Steve, then to Kleiber. “I feel like you’re familiar. Something about you…” He took a sip of his drink. “You weren’t… in Austria, were you?”

“Austria?” He let out a laugh. “Now, how could you know that?”

Steve smiled, perhaps a little evilly. “Oh, is that dust on your shoulder?” He moved closer to pretend to wipe something off Kleiber’s shoulder. Leaning into his ear, he whispered, “Hail HYDRA.”

Kleiber parted his mouth slightly. “Ah,” he murmured, German accent now clear. “I knew you were more than you look. Hail HYDRA.”

It was all the confirmation they needed.

“Shame it’s gone…” Steve said, downing half his beer. “I mean… we could rebuild… but without war…”

Kleiber scooted closer to them. “I heard something from one of our spies in America… A project to recruit scientists. Last I heard… Zola was in custody.” He raised his eyebrows, smirking and nodding. “You get what I mean?”

“Zola can rebuild from the inside…”

“Yeah. And if I try, I think I can get them to recruit Beckers too. Do you know him?”

“We’re familiar with his work,” Bucky said.

“Yes… the splinter bombs.” Kleiber smiled. “Beckers is loyal to HYDRA, I know he would help Zola with his vision.”

“Where is he?”

“A little south from here. We’re all scattered, but we will always prevail. We have for centuries. You see, my family have always been part of the cult.”

“I thought Schmidt created HYDRA,” Steve said, a little confused. From the way Schmidt had talked, it had seemed that way.

“He did, but there was a cult before. We worshiped an Inhuman, a powerful man… Maybe one day, we will again. Maybe we’ll even bring him back… But now, we must focus on controlling the world.”

Bucky shook his head, sighing. “Sorry. We don’t know what an Inhuman is…”

Kleiber widened his eyes before shaking his head. “Of course you don’t. I apologise. HYDRA was so massive, I forget not all were told about our origins. Schmidt joined the cult but made HYDRA what it is today… Inhumans are people with powers, they’re enhanced. You know the Obelisk?”

“Yes.”

“It kills most because they do not come from the special line, they are not worthy. Not like our true leader…” Kleiber took a glug of his whiskey – that the bartender had just placed down. “Inhumans and humans alike became scared of the man destined to be our leader, so they sent him through a portal, to another planet…”

Steve could only think of the blue corpse Peggy tried to hide. That corpse and the Obelisk being in the same place suggested something did exist out there. Just like they had once theorised. “The blue corpse?”

“You’ve heard about that?” At Steve and Bucky nodding, Kleiber smiled. “There’s a story, of the blue angels. Our ancestors called them Kree. They experimented on humans to create the Inhumans.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, that’s all I know from my family. Much of the information has been lost.” He drained his whiskey, calling for another. “I wish I could say more. Our true leader is needed, but first, we must bring HYDRA back together. You both seem overly capable. Considering your flawless ability at changing your accents.”

Steve smirked. “Yes, we trained hard.” He spoke in German, adding a Swedish accent to it.

“What were you? Officers?”

“For a number of years,” Bucky cut in. “Towards the end, we were more like spies.”

Kleiber seemed proud of them. He was a great deal older, perhaps he preferred the energy of the young. “No wonder you know so much but still know so little about us. If your jobs kept changing.”

“Well, you know how it was.”

“Yeah… I certainly did.” Kleiber downed more of his whiskey. “Gentlemen, it’s been good to talk about HYDRA with people who know. I’m glad you settled here.” He smiled. “But I think we should talk about other things to… avoid suspicion.”

Steve grinned. “Yes, I believe that would be good.”

As Steve and Bucky carefully sipped at their drinks, Kleiber kept ordering whiskey, drinking like he had all the money to spare – getting drunker by the minute. Perhaps he did, after all, HYDRA had a lot of pockets to steal from, and an officer of Kleiber’s position would have known where to look. And while it was good to gleam all the information they could from him, Steve was starting to feel uneasy at how simple it was to keep talking to the guy, sitting and drinking with the enemy.

Was this the start of the spy he’d become? He knew being in the SSR would change everything about him, it was steering his life in a direction he didn’t think it could go. Not to mention his and Bucky’s mission, to take down ex-HYDRA soldiers with stealth? Well, it was nothing like being a soldier.

As Kleiber got drunker and drunker, Steve and Bucky slipped their gloves on. Better to make sure their fingerprints wouldn’t be found on this guy at all. Least of all theirs, they didn’t want them on any records to tie them to a murder… Or, really, an assassination.

Kleiber got unsteady on his stool as he exclaimed about some story of him getting the one up on enemy soldiers. It was probably best to shut him up now before the people in the pub gave them any more withering stares.

“Whoa, there.” Steve placed his hand at Kleiber’s shoulder. “Let’s get you home, okay?”

Kleiber nodded. “Thank you.”

“Anything for a friend and fellow soldier.”

Bucky grabbed Kleiber’s other side and they both began walking him out of the bar. They didn’t ask for directions; the man was barely coherent as it was. He was far too drunk to know where he was going anyhow. Which was good for them, it meant suspicions would stay low.

They piled him into their car, and Bucky pulled away. Steve positioned a map on his lap and pointed to a town they had briefly looked at on the journey here. They’d had many plans, they just so happened to get lucky with Kleiber tonight. Which was good, because HYDRA had a lot of potential for new heads to grow from their surviving members. Their saying wasn’t for nothing, even if it was crazy.

Soon enough, Kleiber was peacefully dozing in the back and Bucky pulled up to the new town. They’d driven for longer and in worse conditions, so this was a piece of cake. Steve spotted a good back alley for Kleiber to die in. It was dark, had good cover, and looked half abandoned.

Steve hauled him out of the car while Bucky scoped out the area, keeping watch.

“We’re clear,” he said as Steve dragged him out of sight, laying him against a wall.

He was still very asleep, and very drunk. This… was too easy. This man had been a HYDRA officer, a high up one too. Looking at him now, he was nothing.

Bucky took out his gun – silencer attached. He smiled as he aimed at Kleiber’s head, and Steve didn’t have to be watching to know Bucky would hit his target. He always did. He pulled the trigger, resulting in the bullet lodging itself in Kleiber’s brain, making the whole thing look easy. The body folded in on itself, collapsing to the ground, blood dripping, jaw lax and open. It was almost a horrific sight. If they hadn’t been so used to dead bodies.

They looted his pockets, taking any ID away. Even though it was fake, it was better to be safe, not sorry. They didn’t want the police tracing this back to anyone.

Bucky stood from his crouched position. “Beckers may be harder to find. Not to mention ‘one of our spies in America’.”

“We have all the resources at our disposal.” Steve began walking back to the car. “We’ll find him. We’ll find all of them.”

“I’m sure we will. It’ll just make this mission longer than I imagined.”

“Then…” Steve smiled, gazing at Bucky. “Then we’ll have to take advantage of this progressive country while we can.”

Bucky huffed a laugh. “Alright, I can’t disagree with that.”

\--

Bucky was sitting at the middle of the bed, legs crossed. He was smiling, like a weight had been lifted off him after today’s events. Steve was setting out their pyjamas (knowing there was no use getting into them yet) feeling a sense of calm. He didn’t know what any of his internal feelings meant, but Bucky was smiling, and that was all that mattered.

“I don’t mind this… I just–” Bucky blinked, his smile faltering. “I just realised that.”

Steve looked to Bucky, heaving in a breath. “I know what you mean. And I don’t know what that means for me… for you.”

“Means the war changed us…” He shifted, glancing to the ceiling. “We’ve done this kinda thing before. How different is this?”

“Not that different. Only, our targets aren’t armed anymore.”

Bucky’s smile returned. “Kleiber confirmed our suspicions about what’s out there.”

“The Inhumans… I know.” Steve sighed. “But I’ve never heard of any other enhanced people.”

“Do you expect to?” Bucky clucked his tongue. “Governments don’t take too kindly to that kinda thing.”

“No… Hidden then?”

“Probably.”

Steve walked over to the bed, kneeling on the edge. “You sound… happy?”

Bucky’s eyes turned dark. “Another HYDRA soldier dead is good news. And we did that. And we now have more reason to do this.”

“The spies and… _Zola_ ,” Steve said, adding as much venom to the name as he could.

“We’ll get him one day.” Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve. “Can we…” He trailed off, kissing Steve and nipping at his bottom lip.

He lay back, pulling Steve down on top of him. He went willingly, stroking his hands up Bucky’s thighs. Bucky made a small noise, his lips parting a little. Steve took advantage, slipping his tongue in. And, _god_ , did this make him feel so damn dizzy with anticipation. He loved doing this, at any chance he and Bucky got. Loved how it felt so erratic and yet so peaceful. Loved how it was like devotion, like it spelt out their feelings.

“Can we…?” Steve prompted, breaking the kiss. Not moving further than an inch away.

Bucky pawed at his chest. “Just wanna keep kissing for now. Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He dove back down, claiming Bucky’s lips once again. He bit at them, teasing a moan out of Bucky. It was simply delightful to be able to hear those sounds fully, without either of them trying to suppress it, to keep quiet. And perhaps… perhaps here they could groan loudly, moan deep and harshly, scream till their lungs cried out. Steve wanted everything at once, they’d not nearly had enough time for all this.

He left Bucky’s lips, trailing kisses down to his neck, undoing his shirt buttons to pull the fabric out of the way. He nipped the sensitive spot he’d found before, teasing the skin with his teeth, marking Bucky up. Making him his, even though he was fairly sure it wouldn’t last. In the week before setting out, none of his marks lasted, which was a shame. Bucky had always been a fast healer, back when, almost matching Steve’s healing factor nowadays.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he licked at the mark he’d left, soothing the spot. Bucky was bunching the sheets up, his hands clenched on the fabric. He was making small sounds, a little moan there, a gasp here, especially as Steve licked obscenely along his collarbone.

“Come on, Buck,” he whispered against his skin, undoing the rest of the buttons, tempted to rip them off. “You don’t have to be quiet here.”

Bucky took his advice on board, groaning as Steve began teasing at his nipple, his hips bucking up. “ _Steve_ …”

“Keep forgetting your nipples are so sensitive.” He locked eyes with Bucky as he flicked his tongue over one nipple, while rolling the other between his fingers.

“Like you forgot shit,” Bucky eked out, sounding more wrecked than he was probably aiming for.

Steve smirked, knowing fine well what he was doing. But their sexual relationship had been so brief, he was still learning every nook of Bucky’s body. If that meant he had to lick and bite at it all, he would. He sucked on his nipple, scraping his teeth over it. When Bucky writhed beneath him, he could feel just how hard this was making him. It was perfection.

He rutted against Bucky as he kissed down his stomach, licking here and there, biting a little to garner a moan, a whimper, any sound possible from Bucky. Steve was going mad with it, feeling his head becoming clouded with how good this felt, and they’d barely done anything yet. He ran his nails up Bucky’s abs, groaning and rocking his hips at the solidness of it. God, he knew Bucky could do so much to him, could manhandle him, could treat him roughly without hurting him. Just the thought of Bucky pinning him down, fucking him into the mattress, had his cock straining with it. Begging.

He sought out Bucky’s lips, crashing their mouths together again. Bucky slid his arms up Steve’s back, one finding the hairs on his neck, pulling on them slightly. Steve moaned, moving against Bucky for any sense of friction, to which Bucky met him halfway, bucking his hips so their cocks made contact. Even with the layer of fabric in the way, it managed to make Steve feel the last remaining pieces of thought rush down to his cock.

He slowly ground down, rubbing their erections together _deliciously_. “You gonna fuck me, Buck?”

A primal growl escaped Bucky’s lips. He grabbed Steve’s shoulder, flipping them over. Within a second, Bucky had his wrists pinned above his head, as he settled down, straddling Steve’s hips. He gave a triumphant grin. Kissing Steve sweetly as if he hadn’t granted all his wishes at once. “I’ll only fuck you, _if_ ,” he tapped the inside of Steve’s wrist twice, “I can keep these here.”

“ _Yes_. Buck, I want that. I need that.” He panted, breathless at his desire.

Bucky closed his eyes for a brief second. “God, doll, do you know what you do to me?”

“Yes. Make you go crazy with it.”

He tugged at Steve’s pants. “Off.”

Steve was all too happy to oblige, they wormed their way out of their clothes, which soon lay rumpled on the ground. Bucky reached over to the bedside table, getting their tin of Vaseline. Not that Steve thought they’d need it too much. Considering how much Bucky had fucked him recently.

Bucky slicked up his fingers, pushing one into Steve. At how easily it slipped in, Steve gasped, feeling pleased with himself. Bucky, hovering over him, smirked as he slicked up his cock. He moved to line himself up, taking Steve’s wrists once again, pinning them above his head.

“Gonna be good for me?”

Steve whined. “Yes, Buck. _Fuck_ me.”

Bucky pushed in slowly, so tantalisingly slow. Steve thought he was gonna die right there, just from the anticipation, of the feeling of Bucky being inside him again. It was the one feeling he craved, longed for. It was so _good_ , that feeling of fullness, of Bucky doing that to him.

Steve couldn’t help but struggle in Bucky’s grip as he set a pace that was either too fast or too slow, Steve didn’t know. What he did know was Bucky brushing his prostate every time he thrust in, every time he pulled back. It was the perfect spike of pleasure with every movement. He rocked his hips, keeping up with Bucky as he kept his hands firmly down on the mattress.

As Bucky built up more speed, Steve’s strangled moans bloomed into yells, almost screams. He was so glad to be loud, to give the responses that Bucky groaned to, the ones that urged him on, quickened the pace. God, it was everything. Everything to be free and do what they wanted.

Bucky tightened his grip on Steve’s wrists, it was bruising. He loved it. “ _Stevie_. I’m close…”

Steve closed his eyes, ready to let go. “I’m close too…” He opened his eyes, noting every beautiful feature of Bucky. The way his hair hung down from his perfectly maintained hairstyle, the way his skin was pink and hot, the way he was panting. So beautiful. “Tell me when to come, sweetheart.”

Bucky choked on a moan. “ _God_ , now!”

Within the next second, they were both coming, hot spurts of white leaked onto Steve’s stomach while Bucky came inside of him. They shuddered and writhed, gasping and overwhelmed by a powerful orgasm. Steve felt it all in that moment, barely coherent, breathless and content. He vaguely felt Bucky pull out, settling at Steve’s side, throwing an arm over him.

“Bucky…?” Steve asked, not sure when the words came out of his mouth.

“Yes, doll?” He wasn’t entirely sure when Bucky replied.

“I love you.”

There was a small gasp before Bucky kissed Steve’s chest, smiling down at him. “I love you too.”

They stayed there for a long while, snuggling into each other before getting cleaned up and slipping into soft pyjamas, to fall asleep in a wonderful peace. Blissful and happy.

\--

Steve was in the study, sending a message to the nearest SSR agent. Passing along the news of Kleiber’s death meant their resources could begin to concentrate on Beckers. That scientist was a threat, any HYDRA scientist was. Zola was just one threat, and those loyal to HYDRA had to be taken down. For now, however, Steve and Bucky were keeping the Kree corpse, the Inhumans and the other planet secret. If Peggy had decided no one could see the Kree corpse then they had to keep that same secret until they knew for sure.

The other HYDRA officers had more up to date files than Kleiber and Beckers did. They had been seen out and about, pictures had been taken just in the last month. They didn’t know anyone was after them, they were most likely trying to live a normal life. Well, if they were, killing them might not have been necessary.

It all depended on if they repeated ‘hail HYDRA’. Those words spoke all.

Steve was just finishing up when Bucky came into the room with a metal pipe. He furrowed his brow at him, and Bucky sighed.

“You asked why the door came off its hinges.”

Steve quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah…?”

“It’s easier if I show you.”

Bucky took the pipe at either end, bending it downwards. The metal screeched and contorted as Bucky pulled it down without so much as breaking a sweat. As the two ends reached each other, the pipe screamed as it broke jaggedly into two pieces. It was like he’d simply broken a stick in two.

“I got stronger after Zola experimented on me. I especially found that out when I kicked the door off its hinges.” Bucky sat on the chair opposite Steve. “Zola could barely control me, after my strength. So, he tried to control my mind instead… That’s why I was so confused when you found me. I didn’t know what was real anymore.”

“Jesus… Bucky…” Steve reached out, taking the pieces of pipe from his hands, dropping them on the ground. He held Bucky’s hands tightly, hoping it would bring some comfort.

“I heal faster too. Can’t get drunk… I’m fast…”

“That… explains some things.”

Bucky nodded, eyes distant. “Pretty sure I have some version of the serum.”

Steve rubbed his thumb over the back of Bucky’s hand. “Sounds like it… Bucky, I’m so sorry.”

He made eye contact, smiling a little. “Hey, at least we’re equally matched…”

“Yeah… but…”

“It’s okay.” Steve gave him a look. “Really, it is. I didn’t want to keep it a secret anymore… Now we’re… whatever we are, it’s best to be honest.”

“Yeah. Definitely.” He turned to the equipment, looking over it. “I’ve sent the information…”

“Do you think… When they say two more heads grow in its place, does that mean every single person in HYDRA was… totally with them?”

“I wouldn’t say some weren’t scared. But…” Steve paused, thinking over it. “Look at it this way. Some Nazi soldiers didn’t have a choice, they didn’t commit crimes. It’s the ones who did who are being rounded up. HYDRA’s different. It was a choice to join them, and if Kleiber is anything to go by, they’re proud of what they achieved. I do believe some could be trying to reform their lives but…”

“But they were still HYDRA and could change their mind.” Bucky grimaced. “How many people must be killed?”

“Officers only I guess… Soldiers are easier to keep in a cell.”

“Especially ones that don’t have mind bending tricks.”

“Exactly.”

Bucky leant over, brushing his hand over the files they had. “Who next?”

Steve slipped one of the files out of the pile. “I was thinking of the HYDRA officer, Vegt, who was seen a few weeks ago, in Finland.”

“Well, guess it’s time to work on our Finnish.”

Steve smiled, looking at the last known location of the officer. “Guess so.”

\--

With their enhanced minds, learning languages was easier than a knife slicing through butter. Their memories were so eidetic that simply reading a phrase once had it lodged in their brain. Of course, it would take much more than simply reading to get a handle on the written side of it, but verbally, they excelled after a few days of constant learning.

Once they were in Finland, an SSR agent passed information to them in a busy street. It revealed that Vegt wasn’t here alone and was living with a few ex-HYDRA soldiers. It even had the address, which begged the question: Why have Steve and Bucky do this, instead of the other SSR agents in the vicinity?

Did Phillips only trust them to get the mission done? He supposed that being Invaders was about as trusted as it got when it came to Phillips, it was likely the only person he trusted more was Peggy. But then, was it because of their potential? Both of them had nearly died to HYDRA, both of them were known for going to insane lengths for each other. Did that make them more likely to get their mission done? To see that the other would not die in the process, inducing better stealth and strategy in them both?

It was difficult to say.

They spent a couple days scoping out Vegt’s home, watching who came in and out and when. As soon as Steve and Bucky were certain all were at home (three soldiers in total), they made their way over. Seamlessly getting into the building, into the home these ex-HYDRA soldiers had made for themselves. When the SSR agents had passed information onto them, it had confirmed that all three of them still believed in HYDRA, saying the words that doomed them. Whether that was through direct contact or surveillance, Steve didn’t know.

The three soldiers were sitting on a couch, watching TV and laughing. They seemed to understand Finnish quite well and enjoyed the show they were concentrating on. It felt weird, to interrupt such a peaceful scene, but evil was before them. They couldn’t do anything but pull the trigger. And that’s what they did. Bucky took two out, Steve took one. All with shots to the head, an instant and perhaps too merciful death.

Pleased with themselves, they got out of town quick, returning to Sweden, to their house. In their absence, a letter had been pushed through their door, from an agent, claiming they’d done well. It gave them one order, to take out the soldiers they could find while their resources concentrated on finding Beckers and Brenner.

And over the months, Steve and Bucky did just that. Every single soldier in Scandinavian countries soon lay dead.

Their Swedish home was their base of operations. Wherever they went, they always returned there after a hit. Perhaps it was because of Kolbjorn and his happy nature. Maybe it was due to the laws Sweden had, giving them the privilege of not having to live in fear. Or, perhaps, it served as a good midway point to all the HYDRA soldiers that had escaped to Scandinavian countries. Not that others hadn’t escaped elsewhere. SSR agents left notes about soldiers in Spain. A few had even set up homes in America, Canada, Peru, Argentina, Morocco. And most of these officers, assassins or spies, were highly skilled in blending in.

Well, so were Steve and Bucky.

They were in the bedroom one morning, relaxing after a difficult previous day. They’d taken down a group of HYDRA soldiers that had been moving around Europe for the past month, ending up in Sweden. The only difference and difficulty were that they were armed. Fighting them had reminded them too much of the war, instead of a simple assassination. But, at the end of the day, people who didn’t have the serum were no match for them.

Steve was sitting on the armchair, by the window. A letter from Peggy had come through, it had been a while since her first one. While it was brief, she talked about how she’d been put on desk duty, being forced by her commanding officer into only doing paperwork. Steve scoffed at the idea. There was no way Peggy should have been doing anything other than missions. She’d been a spy for god’s sake, and at that, an extremely excellent one. The best any of them had ever encountered, and probably ever would.

Bucky came up behind him, glancing over the letter. “Ugh. Flynn sounds like a dick.”

“On the bright side, Howard says Peggy’s gonna co-manage SHIELD with him… That organisation they were planning on creating.”

“Sounds good.” Bucky smiled, his eyes on the window. “I wouldn’t mind working in something new, with Peggy giving the orders.”

Steve cast the letter aside. “Might not happen for a while.”

“Mm.”

“And we’re where we need to be, for now.”

Bucky patted the chair. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. We’ve got another message from an agent. Brenner is in Russia.”

Steve gave a sly smirk. “I wouldn’t mind taking down a friend of Reinhardt’s right about now.”

“We’ve gotta drive to the airport.”

“Okay.” Steve stood. “We better get ready.”

They packed light, in smaller bags for ease. They dismantled their weapons and tucked them away, out of sight, out of mind. And with clean tailored suits on, they headed out. Kolbjorn was on his lawn, t-shirt on, looking over his plants. As soon as he clapped eyes on Steve and Bucky, he smiled.

“Going on holiday?” He gestured to the bags.

Bucky shrugged. “Something like that.”

“You boys have fun… I hope you don’t stray too far, especially not into illegal land.” As they both regarded him with tilted heads, Kolbjorn gave them a knowing look. “Don’t pretend. I’ve seen the both of you, and your relationship is beautiful to see.”

Steve smiled. “Thank you, Kolbjorn.”

“Only speaking the truth.”

“If we’re speaking truths,” Bucky began, glancing to the sky, “isn’t it too cold for t-shirts?”

Kolbjorn laughed. “It’s three degrees, and there’s no wind.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “At least wear a long-sleeved shirt. It’s January.”

“You can’t tell me what to do, Borje.” Kolbjorn shook his head, amused, before heading back inside.

Steve and Bucky laughed and fondly smiled at yet another strange yet wonderful conversation with their neighbour and friend.

\--

Of all the places they expected to find and approach Brenner, a museum was not one of them. Especially not one full of art. They’d been tailing the guy all day, looking for an opportunity to approach him. This seemed better than anywhere else they’d seen their target go.

He was standing in front of an oil painting, hands in his pockets. It detailed a battlefield, an old one, consisting of swords, bows and horses instead of guns and tanks. It left out the gruesome blood and injuries a battle could result in, essentially going for a dramatic fight, rather than the truth of war. But Steve couldn’t judge, if he did a painting of a war, he’d leave out the blood too.

Steve leaned close to Bucky, keeping his eyes on Brenner. “I’ll go up and talk to him, then you come in when you feel the time is right.”

“What’s our plan for the hit?”

“Remember those needles we were given? With the incurable poison.”

“Yeah?”

Steve opened his jacket, pulling a capped needle from his inside pocket. “If I inject him…”

“He dies in less than an hour.” Bucky smiled. “Good thinking. But how are you going to do it?”

“Distraction. You pretend to hurt him, I stick this in his neck.”

“I can do that.” Bucky began walking off to the side. “I’ll make my entrance when I need to, you go make yours.”

Steve happily made his way over to the HYDRA scum that was still observing the battlefield painting. He didn’t know what had him so captured, but Steve knew what to say to get him talking.

“You know…” he began, in Russian, striding up to Brenner. “I never agreed with what Hitler did to art.”

Brenner regarded him with a raised eyebrow. “No… Art, whoever has made it, should never be taken away. I’m glad we agree Mr…?”

“Raibert.” Bucky rounded the corner, settling beside Steve. “And this is my good friend, Mr Barin.”

Brenner nodded. “You speak to me like you know… What were your titles in the war?”

“No titles, Sir. We were assassins,” Bucky said with a smile. He leant closer to Brenner. “Hail HYDRA.” He used his thick German accent to reinforce the idea they were agents.

Brenner looked somewhat taken aback at the words, his eyes firmly on the painting. “Haven’t heard that in a long while… Hail HYDRA.”

“I recognised you, from one of the more formal meetings. You were a good friend to Reinhardt, no?” Steve said, he wondered what kind of information they could pry from Brenner.

“Ah, yes. I cannot believe he was captured. He is a brilliant man, doesn’t deserve to be behind bars.”

“I know he could drive our vision from anywhere.”

“He could. Absolutely.”

Bucky rolled back on his feet, glancing around the room casually. “We were actually pondering something the other day, weren’t we?”

Steve smiled. “Yes. We were wondering if you know about any strange goings on, especially any that happened in the war. We’ve been wondering how we could rebuild. Any information could benefit our goal. We can only wish Zola and Reinhardt will be freed so we can drive our thinking in the shadows.” He chose his words carefully, using all they’d learnt from Kleiber, other officers, and from their experience of how haunted some of their targets had been.

Brenner wore that same look they’d seen on some of the other officers when they’d asked if anything strange had ever happened. Normally, they talked about the Red Skull killing someone, or talked about one of the many artifacts Steve and Bucky knew the SSR had to find at some point.

“There was this legend that was spread around the ranks… Except, I was one of the few that survived it. No one knew I was there, but, I was.” Brenner closed his eyes. “We were transporting prisoners to a smaller base, near the one in Austria. I was in the distance, as a sniper, in case one escaped… This man took every prisoner out, killed a few soldiers and left – he only used a machine gun.” He looked haunted. “He just… It was a war crime. I know HYDRA was hardly better but, I always abided by those often-unspoken rules…”

“Who was he?”

“He yelled ‘Hail HYDRA’ as he shot a soldier… He was one of ours, but his accent was English. So, I got one of the spies to dig into a British operative.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Sounds insane. Did you find anything?”

“Oh, yes. A British Armed forces file, detailing the massacre. My spy did find a HYDRA file too. They moulded him to our thinking, but he would never reveal his second name, sticking to only Michael.”

“Wait… You mean, HYDRA brainwashed him?”

“Absolutely. They wanted to use him as an assassin, a spy in the British army. Unfortunately, he believed in HYDRA’s vision, but didn’t believe in our ways.”

“Why not?” Steve asked.

“The file didn’t say. But he went rogue and escaped. The skills HYDRA helped develop backfired on us.”

“Shit… So, if we find this Michael, we could maybe change his mind. He sounds like one hell of a force.”

Brenner shook his head. “You’d need a lot to control him.”

Bucky’s lips curled in a horrifying smile. “We can be persuasive.”

“You’re young, HYDRA has clearly influenced you. But do not be blind to our true vision. We must take control, order must be restored.” His eyes were determined. “The world has been corrupted, but change cannot happen overnight. We know that now. However, having the likes of you both on our side can only benefit us in the long run.”

“It certainly can.” Bucky locked eyes with Steve and subtly nodded. He rounded Brenner and bumped into him, quickly apologising, he somehow stepped on his foot. Steve moved in and stuck the needle in his neck, injecting fast. By the time Brenner reached up to feel his neck, the needle was gone and back in his pocket.

“I’m sorry. God, that was stupid of me.” Bucky gestured to the painting. “I was only trying to get a better look.”

Brenner shook his head, smiling. “Don’t worry, boy. HYDRA agents must never apologise. It isn’t in our nature.”

“Ah, but I can be polite to a General such as yourself.”

“I suppose so.” Brenner smiled at them both, looking a little confused. “As much as I do like talking to you, I came here to be alone.”

Steve nodded. “Go on. We don’t wish to bother you anymore.”

Brenner nodded to them and walked off, heading towards another painting across the room. One that detailed a man in bed, surrounded by family. How ironic.

“Some would say poison is a coward’s weapon,” Bucky whispered, as they turned to leave.

“Who cares? It’s an efficient one.”

“Any method to get another HYDRA agent off the map.”

“Definitely. We’re not blind to what they’re doing. All of them are trying to rebuild what they lost, scrambling to be the next leader… If we weren’t here to stop it–”

“They’d be rebuilding in the shadows. Zola would assume control, after persuading whoever to be recruited. Reinhardt could very well rot in the Rat, but if Zola became a high enough rank, he could be released.” Bucky shuddered. “I dread to think.”

“HYDRA only wants control, not freedom.” They stepped out onto the street, walking towards their hotel. It had been a long day. “They’d do it by any means necessary.” He slowly smiled. “However, if we get Beckers, he’s the last scientist that poses any threat. And if we continue our mission, HYDRA can be gone by the end of 1947. We may have wiped them out around here, but there are many more to deal with.”

Bucky huffed a breath. “It’s gonna be a lot of work but… at least we’re learning plenty of languages.”

Steve scoffed, amused. “Let’s see where our journey takes us next, huh?”

\--

Turns out their journey was going to take them all over the world. Steve could hardly believe Phillips could spare the expenses to go on a worldwide assassination trip. But here Steve and Bucky were, in Argentina, seeing a tense sense of boundaries between Nazis and HYDRA agents that had escaped. They made sure to inform the allies involved about the Nazi criminals, while they shot, or poisoned plenty of agents that thought they could get away with their actions.

Then, they were in Peru, finding a small group of HYDRA agents who were beginning to rebuild, hiding out in a base they’d stole from some mob. They were far too arrogant and died because of it. Of course, they weren’t in Peru for long.

Next was Morocco, where they ended up in a firefight with one agent, mercifully killed another, and watched as the last downed a cyanide pill in fear of being caught. It wasn’t often the two saw someone do that, due to Steve and Bucky being discreet and passing off as HYDRA.

They were in Spain, in Italy, in Canada. Ireland. Egypt. Switzerland.

England.

Almost all HYDRA agents still at large were dead, except from the spies in America, Beckers and Michael. Steve and Bucky were almost convinced Phillips was saving the spies for last, as a welcome home party for them, to end their journey. Or, he was at least investigating the SSR, the government, to find said spies.

They’d yet to tell Phillips about Michael too, it was going to be a hell of a day when they did. So far, they were keeping that under wraps. Just because spies were enough of a problem to deal with, never mind throwing a brainwashed British soldier into the mix.

They were back in Sweden, in their home, due to reports of Beckers being seen in the country. Agents had chased him all around Europe when Steve and Bucky passed on Kleiber’s information way back when. It was mid-May now. And while Steve and Bucky were wiser with all their experience, it was as if all the months had run from them. Steve had barely been managing to reply to Peggy’s letters, which were sparse as well. He’d heard more than read about what was happening on her side.

All in all, Bucky wasn’t too happy to find out a man who could brainwash people, make them susceptible, control their minds as it were, and Zola being in the same prison as each other.

But, on the other hand, he was much happier when they got a lead on Beckers.

They had been walking down the street, trying to relax a little after the hectic few months they’d had, travelling the world. A man had bumped into them, slipped something into Steve’s pocket. He found a letter, detailing that Beckers was in town, meeting with what the agent assumed was a spy. Steve grinned and showed Bucky the message, who also looked rather overjoyed at the development.

Ever since they took out the spies in England, things had been too calm.

The letter also mentioned where the meeting would be taking place, a café the two had come to know after all their time here. They hoped the information was accurate, as they made their way. They could sit down, have a hot drink, relax and pretend they weren’t there to kill someone who’d been on their list for eight months.

Luckily, when they got there, Beckers was sitting at one of the tables, smiling at a woman. It wasn’t unusual to see a HYDRA spy turn out to be a woman. Plenty of the ones in England had been. They sat at a table and ordered some coffee, listening into the conversation.

“Hail HYDRA, Beckers,” the woman said, smiling. They were speaking in clear Swedish, no hint of any other accent present.

“Hail HYDRA.” Beckers leant forward. “But how much of HYDRA is left? I’m desperately working on weapons to improve our survivability but… I’ve lost contact with everyone. Kleiber isn’t here, is he?”

The woman looked mournful. “I know he told you he’d always be in this city… But he’s nowhere. I’ve searched. Brenner is gone too, you know? You three were some of the highest-ranking officers still free.”

“And now, I’m all that’s left?”

“Apart from the rest of my team in America, yes.” She sighed, lips pressing into a thin line. “You, that’s all I can find.”

“No evidence of anyone settling down?”

“Nothing but dead bodies, Vincent. All of them are dead.”

Beckers widened his eyes. “No… It can’t be. How?”

“We’re being hunted. In Canada? Suspicious deaths of HYDRA officers. In Spain, at an abandoned factory, five people were found, all had been HYDRA. There was a body found north of here that once resembled Kleiber… I’m so sorry, Vincent.”

“HYDRA… It’s really gone.” Beckers sat back. “We should have rebuilt faster, after the Red Skull died, we should have done more.”

“We were cornered.” The woman had a soft look. “Besides… We still have Zola.”

“I’m aware. But we don’t have the forces we used to… It’s not just officers who are dead.”

“It’s soldiers too. I know.”

“Where in America are you?”

The woman glanced around, so Steve busied himself with drinking his coffee, while Bucky looked out the window. She passed a bit of paper to Beckers. “That’s my address. Find me if you’re in trouble. My team has infiltrated the SSR, if you get lost.”

Oh, for god’s sake. That wasn’t good. At least now, they could give Phillips more concrete information.

“Fuck you,” Beckers said in jest. “I’m a scientist, not a soldier. I have brains.”

“True enough.” The woman stood. “See you around, Vincent. And remember, never stay in one place.”

Steve leant towards Bucky. “You take the woman, I’ll get Beckers.”

Bucky smiled. “Remember the address.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not an amateur.”

As the woman walked out of the door, Bucky drained his coffee, said goodbye to Steve, and made his way out. Steve’s eyes snapped to Beckers, who left some money on the table before standing. His expression was weary, almost scared. His eyes darting like he was always on high alert. And considering the spy had told him every agent had been killed, he had good reason to be.

Of course, with all they’d done over the months, all they’d killed, and what Beckers knew, he couldn’t pull off pretending to be HYDRA. So, he did what he always did when it was likely someone would find him out. He tailed Becker as he got onto the street and as soon as he passed by an alleyway, he shoved him in.

He wasted no time at getting his knife out and grabbing Beckers from behind (since he’d had no time to recover from being shoved so violently)

“Vincent Beckers!” he exclaimed, pressing the knife to his throat. “It’s a pleasure.”

Beckers furrowed his brow. “I recognise your voice.”

“You might know me as Captain America.”

“Changed, have you?”

“Had to, HYDRA must die.”

“Cut off one head–”

Steve sliced his throat before he could finish the pointless phrase. Beckers was hardly a head, and at that, he was one of the last loose ends. They weren’t cutting off heads, only for them to regrow. No. This was the part of the myth where they cut off the heads, cauterising the wounds so two more would never grow. With how few were left, HYDRA would fall.

After looting the body, Steve quickly backed out of the alley and pulled his gloves off, stuffing them in his pockets. He made his way back to the car, to find Bucky waiting in the driver’s seat. Once he got in, Bucky gave him a blinding smile.

“Two more down.”

“Yep.”

“The spy suggested her team consisted of seven members before I killed her. She said they’d come for us.”

Steve scoffed, amused. “No one has ever tried.”

Bucky hummed. “Probably because they die before they can tell anyone.”

“Probably.” Steve slouched. “I suppose after this, Phillips will want us in America.”

“Yep.”

“Wanna take advantage of this progressive country for the last time?”

Bucky glanced to him, smirking. “Ye _p_.”


	3. The Future

As soon as they got onto American soil, a man was waiting for them with a sign saying, ‘Rogers & Barnes’. When the guy saw them approach, he tilted his head, put the sign away, and guided them to a car outside. It was a black car with darker windows, which hardly made it inconspicuous. Nevertheless, the agent took their bags as they got into the back seats. When he was done in the trunk, he slid into the passenger seat. The driver didn’t waste a second in getting them out of there.

They were taken straight to the main office in New York. They knew exactly where to go to find Phillips, bags in hand. They didn’t even know if their pokey SSR accommodation was still available or not. Being in other countries for so long had distanced them from the SSR, so much so that they recognised no one in the office now. And the Chief – who they saw going into an office – was a bit on the young side compared to the previous Chief who’d worked there.

They had clearly missed a lot.

When they entered the darkened room, Phillips was at the desk, standing, reading a file. His eyes flicked up, noting Steve and Bucky’s presence. He sighed, looking exasperated and placed the file down. He pointed to the door.

“No, get out of here. Take a break. You can debrief a week from now.”

Bucky gaped. “What about the spies? There’s seven of them.”

“We’re handling them for now. Take a break.”

“Yes, Sir,” they said at once.

They weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to escape for a week. They’d worked non-stop for the last eight months, their only breaks being what little time they could share with each other, out of sight. Most of the time, they were tracking, collecting information, travelling, and actually assassinating people.

A week off sounded amazing in comparison.

Bucky leant forward, twisting his mouth. “Do we have a place to live?”

Phillips put his head in his hands, breathing out deeply. He looked like he wanted to scream. “I’ll sort it.”

\--

Phillips had definitely sorted it. Within the next few hours, Steve and Bucky had an apartment near the office, and it was fully furnished. Funny that it had two bedrooms, unlike their old accommodation. It wasn’t like they were going to use both anyway. Although, they’d surely have to make one look lived in, but could afford to sleep in the same bed still. America may have had backwards laws, but Steve and Bucky weren’t exactly unskilled in the art of pretending.

They were walking down the street, towards Peggy’s new house, courtesy of Howard. Steve was glad she had her place in the world, a home to call hers. And according to Howard’s very helpful friend, Edwin Jarvis, she lived with someone. Steve could take a wild shot in the dark over who that could be, but he’d question Peggy later. First… he had to tell her the truth.

“You know,” Bucky began, leaning into Steve a little, “you don’t have to tell her everything.”

“I know. But she deserves to know… If I felt like she wouldn’t shoot my head off, can I tell her about us?”

Bucky smiled, shrugging. “If Peggy doesn’t accept us, who will?”

“She’ll work it out.”

“Probably.”

“She’s good like that.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah…”

Bucky chuckled. “You just don’t wanna tell her yourself.”

“Not easy to say aloud, Buck.”

He hummed. “Sure it isn’t. But she’s Peggy, who sticks it to her bosses by going rogue and who handles Howard like a champ.”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh at that. “You’re not wrong.”

Bucky patted his arm triumphantly. “Now, I’m gonna have a coffee at that diner we passed. Have fun.”

Steve rolled his eyes, letting him go by saying ‘goodbye’ but mouthing ‘love you, see you’. They were going to have to create their own sign language at one point or just… use any kind of sign language. Who in the general populous would know otherwise?

Once he was at Peggy’s rather luxurious house, even if it was really Howard’s (he didn’t want to get into the logistics of it), he knocked on the door twice. As he waited, he got a good look. From the outside, it was impressive enough. With beautiful brick, large decorative windows and a perfectly manicured roof. It was certainly a nice place to live.

Surprisingly, he didn’t have to wait long. Peggy opened the door, her eyebrows raised as she saw Steve. In true Peggy style, she was wearing a comfy top and trousers. She was a progressive woman, he could only hope that stretched to certain types of love as well.

With a tight smile, she let him in. He glanced around, and everything about the place screamed Howard, but he could see Peggy’s touches, and an unfamiliar sense to the place. Peggy had talked about her good friend Angie, _a lot_. He supposed she could have been living with her. Of all the people who could have been her housemate, it had to be Angie.

He turned in the entryway, eyes settling on a note pinned to the wall. It had the words ‘be careful’ written upon it in a beautiful cursive. Steve smiled, whoever was living with Peggy, they cared about her a great deal. And, it appeared, they knew exactly what Peggy did for a living.

“Your housemate cares about you.”

Peggy ducked her head, grinning. That was interesting. “Yes. She really does.”

Peggy led him towards the kitchen, gesturing for him to lean on the counter, which he did. Steve was no idiot, he knew what was coming. What Peggy would ask soon enough. For now, however, she was preoccupied with the kettle, bringing it to the stove to boil. She got out two mugs and placed a tub of tea and a tub of coffee next to them. Turning to Steve, she leant back, staring at him.

“You promised to tell me why.”

“Peggy… I…” He closed his eyes, resting back on the counter. He had no idea how to say it, other than to say it. “I was in love with someone else during the war. And I just let people believe I liked you because it was safer.”

Peggy stilled, her eyes thick with suspicion. “Safer? Were you in bed with an enemy spy?”

“No, Jesus Christ, no.”

“Steve, you tell me you loved someone else, but say it was safer for people to think you liked me. Forgive me for being sceptical.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Who was it, then? Was she a spy? Did she have to keep her identity secret?”

Steve looked at his hands. He had no honour, he’d used her, and he wasn’t proud of that, not at all. “If I tell you it puts…” He couldn’t say ‘her’, it felt too wrong in his head. “It puts us in danger.”

Peggy breathed deep, she looked furious, and he’d expected no less. “Then at least have the decency to tell me when exactly it started.”

“Towards the end of the war. We’d, uh, fooled around before that though.”

“Is it Lorraine? I didn’t think she was a spy but–”

“No. No. It’s not Lorraine, I’d rather fight a hundred men than kiss her again.” Steve grimaced at the sheer memory of her forcing herself on him.

“Then who, Steve? Because, as I recall, you didn’t know too many women at the SSR.”

Steve closed his eyes, knowing it would only take moments for Peggy to figure it out. While he wanted her to, he was still terrified.

“And she’d have been apart from you too. So why her and not me?”

He stayed silent, even though he knew Peggy was waiting on an answer. He kept his eyes glued shut, if he opened them and saw Peggy… Well, he’d tell her. Better for her to work it out this way. She was a smart woman, she had to know, deep down.

“Oh– Oh no, Steve.” _There it was_. “Because you’re not in love with a woman.”

He opened his eyes, tears streamed out, pouring over his face like a waterfall. “Yeah…”

Peggy moved towards him, and he didn’t mean to, but he flinched back. Peggy could easily hurt him if she thought of queers the same way everyone else did.

“I’m not going to hurt you…” She sighed. “It’s Bucky, isn’t it? The person you’re in love with?”

He nodded, feeling any words die in his throat. “It– We– He kissed me after we were briefed on Operation Undertone. I couldn’t say no to him, he’s my whole life. Everything I am is because of him.”

“I understand. But why pretend for so long? You could have told me no at any time over the last months of the war.”

“People kept talking about us as if we were star-crossed lovers, after the plane… It would have been too suspicious at the time. Guess I just got used to pretending. I really am sorry.”

“I accept your apology… I really understand your motivations, Steve. But I wish you’d told me… I’m queer too.”

Steve gasped, smiling a little. “Then you understand why I couldn’t have told you either.”

She faintly smiled. “Yes, I do.” She walked forward, grabbing his hands. “Now, Steve Rogers, you don’t have to worry for my feelings.”

He nodded. “You always deserved better anyway.”

“Many would think different.”

“The many don’t know what I’ve done over the last eight months.”

Peggy pursed her lips, stepping back. “It’s subtle, but you have changed.”

“I have.” Steve looked away. “We’re back now, but after the agents are dealt with... I don’t know what’s next.” He glanced down at the floor. “I’ve heard about the things you’ve not been telling me.”

“It’s been… something.” She shook her head. “I know it’s on hold for now, but, when the time is right, SHIELD will be made. It can be better than the SSR.”

“Bucky and I will be with you every step of the way. Something like SHIELD is needed, especially with all the evil out there.”

“You and Bucky must be the most successful agents now, we could use your skills when we start SHIELD.”

“We’ll be there.”

There was a long stretch of silence as Peggy prepared her tea, while Steve did his own coffee. Once they had their steaming, scolding, drinks in their hands, Peggy led them to the main living room. They sat on opposite couches, and while Peggy set her tea on the coffee table, Steve placed his on the end table next to the arm of the couch.

“So, is your housemate the Angie you kept mentioning in your letters?” Steve asked, once they were settled.

“Maybe.”

“I mean… one may think you’re attracted to her.”

Peggy – who’d been sipping at her tea – choked, placing her cup down carefully. She wiped her chin with a napkin, shooting a ‘I will kill you’ look at him. “Steve.”

“‘She’s beautiful’. ‘Steve, she’s an amazing actress. She could rival me, as a spy’. ‘Her singing is impeccable, Steve, I hope you hear it one day’. ‘She understands me’.” Steve raised an eyebrow, sipping at his coffee.

“You’re an arsehole, has anyone ever told you that?”

“I only quoted your own words.” He smiled. “You’re not denying it.”

“I… maybe like her, a little.”

“A lot.”

“A _little_.”

Steve widened his eyes. “Ah. You _really_ like her. How’s denial going?”

“I will shoot you again, Steve. Don’t get cocky with me.”

“Unless I’ve got this wrong, Pegs… You’re living with a woman, you’re queer and every time you mentioned Angie in your letters, I could interpret the smile.”

Peggy sighed. “Okay… You’re right. But! Only half right.”

“Oh?”

“I may like an SSR agent too?”

Steve sipped his coffee, mulling this information over. “He a man?”

“Yeah.”

“Is he good to you, and for you?”

Peggy lay back on the couch, relaxing fully. “I think so?”

“You’re unsure?”

“He can be a bit…”

“Like a typical man?”

“No. I don’t know.” She took a glug of her tea. “He’s not like the others. But he’s not like how the team was either. You, the Invaders, you never treated me as anything but one of you. I was never on some kind of pedestal.”

Steve nodded, agreeing with that completely. “You were always an Invader.” He kicked his feet up onto the couch. “If this guy isn’t up to your standards, don’t lower them. You need someone who treats you like a star but keeps things real with you.”

“I don’t know if anyone like that exists.”

“Okay.” Steve breathed out. God, where would he be if Bucky hadn’t taken the plunge? He just needed to... nudge Peggy to the right person. She deserved more than some guy that didn’t treat her as good as the Invaders did, especially considering Dum Dum had been on their team. And _he_ accepted her wholeheartedly. “This agent. What do you think of him, one word.”

Peggy pursed her lips. “Good.”

“Angie.”

A smile crawled upon her face. “Amazing and beautiful and…” She shook her head. “Okay, I get your point, Steve.”

“See?!” He sipped at his coffee, relaxing. “Do you think there’s a chance Angie might like you back?”

“My heart hopes so… But she’s made far too many comments about men and their… shoulders.”

“She could like both, like you and me.”

Peggy raised an eyebrow, staring into the distance. She pursed her lips, like she was deciding on something. “Would you say someone who desperately wants to be your neighbour might like you? Or… well, Angie once prevented me from getting arrested by crying to make the agents uncomfortable.”

Steve grinned. He supposed there was more to the ‘getting arrested’ story. “Pegs… being desperate over living in the same building is an extremely queer thing to do.” He chuckled softly, setting his coffee aside. “Bucky did a similar thing with me once upon a time. Don’t make the assumption that she was only being friendly.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Then tell her how you feel.”

“Steve, I can’t… I can’t do that.”

“Sure you can. You’re a spy, you don’t have to ask directly.” He smiled, knowing it had a smug hint to it. “Or you could let me do it.”

Peggy placed her tea down, eyeing Steve. Her hand moved towards the cushion beside her, looping a finger around a corner. “And what would you say? ‘Oh, hi, Angie, we just met but Peggy likes you’?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Nothing so direct. No, it’d be something like… ‘Hi, Angie, we just met but as one love interest to another, Peggy likes nothing more than someone who believes in her’.”

Peggy threw the cushion towards him, at such a speed he couldn’t dodge it. Instead, he held up his arms, letting it bounce off him. When he smirked at her, she threw another. Prepared this time, he rolled off the couch, finding cover behind a table. He heard her pick up another, so, he stood with his hands up.

“I won’t tell her!”

Peggy paused with a cushion in her hand, arched back, ready to throw.

“I’ll just plant the idea in her head.”

The cushion came hurdling towards him. He sidestepped it, raising an eyebrow. Peggy scowled diving for another cushion. “It’s my decision,” she said plainly.

“I know. Doesn’t mean I can’t help.” He shrugged. “You’ll ignore it all otherwise.”

“Don’t need you to tell me how to live.”

“I’m not. Just being a helpful matchmaker.”

She held the cushion up. “Nothing about this is helpful.”

“You won’t be saying that when I get you two together.”

His smugness was short-lived as the cushion came at him at an alarming rate. He rolled out of the way, ducking behind the couch. He peeked his head over the back, seeing Peggy at the opposite couch, placing the cushions in a pile.

“You know… I’m not gonna fight back.”

Peggy smiled. “Good. That’s good.”

“Can I ask what’s going on here?” a new voice said. Steve stood from his crouched position and saw a brunette with quite a plain dress on, a bag of shopping in her hand. Steve knew from just looking at her why she was perfect for Peggy. She gave off an aura that said, ‘say something, and I’ll tell you _exactly_ what I think’.

“You’re Angie?” he asked, rounding the couch, approaching her.

Angie raised an eyebrow. “And you’re Captain America?”

He grinned. “Peggy has–”

She threw another cushion at him. It hit him right in the face, having been distracted by Angie. “Steve.”

Steve held up his hands. “I was just gonna say–” He turned to Angie. “Peggy has told me a lot about you.”

Angie straightened up at that, looking proud almost. “She has?”

Peggy dropped the cushion and placed it back on the couch. “Well, yes. I confided in Steve while he was away.”

“Better to trust someone you can’t see.” He held out his hand. “It’s nice to put a name to a face.”

Angie shook his hand with a smile. “If I wasn’t interested in someone else, I’d totally eat you up.”

Steve laughed. He knew people were attracted to him in a sexual sense, but no stranger had possessed the balls to say it till now. (And Lorraine did _not_ count). “I can assure you, I’m off the market.”

“Whoever they are, I hope they…” Her eyes roamed his shoulders for a second, “ _treat_ you right.”

Peggy stepped towards Angie, as if she was trying to cut their conversation short. As if she was scared of what he could say. “Maybe it’s time for Steve to go.” She levelled him with a glare. “He has work to do.”

Steve waved her off. “No, I don’t. Our superior gave me a week off. Travelling has been manic.”

“I’m not saying anything but… something weird is going on here.” Angie turned to Peggy, lips thinned. “English, explain.”

Steve quickly cut in. “Peggy’s trying to throw me out so I don’t spill any beans.”

“Rogers, I _swear_.”

Angie folded her arms. “What beans?”

“Well–”

Peggy picked up a vase. “I won’t hesitate.”

“No! That’s the best one,” Angie cried, placing her hand on Peggy’s arm. “Please, use another cushion if you must.”

Peggy sighed, putting the vase back, giving Angie a soft look. “He’s getting on my last nerve.”

Angie smiled, sending the same look right back at Peggy. Huh. “I thought he was supposed to be a goody two shoes.”

Steve stayed silent, watching the two carefully.

“He was. Never stopped him from being an arse.”

She laughed, turning to Steve and shaking her head. “What’s he been doing?”

“He’s been playing matchmaker.”

That was an interesting tactic. Telling the truth without saying anything at all. Steve was right. If he’d seen anything in their interaction, it was that Angie had feelings for Peggy. He had no doubt about that. He’d learnt to be perceptive lately.

“Matchmaker? Hmm. Towards you?”

“Something like that.”

Angie narrowed her eyes. “You weren’t pushing her towards Sousa, were you?”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t know his name. But if he’s the agent she mentioned, then no.” He looked to Angie pointedly. “I don’t think any _man_ is good enough for Pegs.”

Peggy glared at him with ice in her eyes. Angie wasn’t aware of the glare, however. She only looked impressed, somehow. Like what he’d said was exactly the right thing to say. Perhaps he’d earned her respect.

She tilted her head. “Not even you?”

“Definitely not me.”

“Hold on…” Angie glanced to Peggy, then to Steve, before looking back once again. “Oh… English, you sly fool.”

Peggy gaped at her. “Angie… what?”

Steve backed away from the both of them. “I think I’m going to leave you to it.”

Angie sent a quick smile his way. “Don’t worry, Cap. I get you.”

He saluted her casually, quickly heading to the exit. Though, before he could make his escape, he heard Angie ask why Peggy hadn’t told her she was into women. And from what he caught onto, Angie had been leaving hints this entire time. To which Peggy made a small sound, claiming that she’d been too distracted by the impossibility of it.

As Steve ducked out the door, Angie asked if she could kiss Peggy.

Mission accomplished.

\--

“Why do you think Howard wants to meet?” Steve asked Bucky as they sat for breakfast.

“Because he misses us?” Bucky grinned as he stabbed his fork into a pancake. “I don’t know… He sounded a little tired on the phone.”

“With all he’s been through the past months, he’s bound to be. Peggy made it sound like he was going through hell in her letters.” Steve furrowed his brow. “I mean, with the way his inventions were being sold and used.”

“Guilt. Like he had after the bombs.”

“Yeah… It’s almost like he and Peggy were being tested. Peggy struggling with getting recognition, Howard and people misusing his most dangerous weapons… By the time SHIELD is created, they’ll know exactly what they’re doing.”

“It’s as you said, Steve, we need their vision. We can only trust us and them, really.”

Steve blew out a breath. “I wish you were wrong about that…”

They settled into a silence while they ate. Steve knew they all had a long way to go before SHIELD would be founded, but it seemed like a real thing that could happen. After Steve had seen Peggy the previous day, he and Bucky did some quick research into their friends. Since they’d been out of contact with everyone for so long.

So, they’d snuck into the SSR office without being seen to sneak a peek at some files. And they weren’t surprised to find Dum Dum at the helm of the Invaders, _except they weren’t called that anymore_. Steve and Bucky would have been a little bitter, if it hadn’t been for the fact that the name was better _and_ that a new recruit who had only died last month had come up with it. Jim and Gabe weren’t part of the team anymore. Their files didn’t give much insight, it was classified up to the eyeballs. So, they supposed, it was possible they were undercover.

In seeing this, Steve wanted to find a way for them all to meet up at some point. He missed them. Having been thrust into their assassination mission, he supposed it had indirectly broken apart the rest of their team. But, in a way, it was a blessing that Dum Dum was leading the team now, even if the team was a whole new thing.

“You know, Buck, I think I know how to get everyone back together.”

Bucky shoved a whole pancake into his mouth. “How?”

“My birthday is next, right?”

He gestured for him to continue, chewing on his food. If Steve wasn’t in love with him, he would have been awfully disgusted at this display.

“Why don’t we just… invite them all and see who comes?” Steve smiled. “Maybe we could make it a thing for all our birthdays. As long as no one is on a mission, I’d imagine most would be able to make it.”

Bucky stared into space for a second, swallowing the pancake. “Plane tickets would be too much, don’t you think?”

“All we can do is try.”

“I guess.”

They cleaned up their dishes after they were done and had a good look around the apartment. It would never be the house in Sweden, but it was nice enough. And still far more than they’d ever expect from the SSR. Though, they could afford it these days. What, with them saving their wages. Most of Bucky’s did funnel to his family, who he hadn’t seen in eight months. He’d sent letters, but in being back, he hardly seemed eager to go see them.

“Your ma is gonna be worried about you, Buck,” Steve said as Bucky was settling on the couch with a sci-fi book.

Bucky ignored him for a good minute before sighing. “I’m just… not ready to see them.”

Steve flopped down next to him. “Why?”

“Hm. Maybe it’s because they want me to be the son who left for war and I’m…” He turned a page. “I’m not that guy, you know?”

“Yeah… I know.”

“And… well… Becca’s married. Charlotte bribed a professor to teach her biology. And Mable is a young woman now, not a kid.” Bucky snapped the book shut. “I just, feel a disconnect from them. It’s… hard to explain.”

“They aren’t who you left behind, and you aren’t who left them.” Steve shrugged, trying his best to keep this casual. “Maybe you can all relate to that.”

“Maybe. I need more time.”

Steve kissed his temple. “I wasn’t saying to rush. I was only concerned.”

Bucky flicked his book back open. “Now, can I read my book in peace?”

Steve laid back. “Only till Howard comes round. Which will be…” He glanced to the clock. “Oh.”

“What?”

“Now.”

“Since when…?” Bucky took a long hard look at his watch. “Huh, that’s the last time we have a lazy morning.” He put his book down. “I’ll never get to read this.”

“A week is ample time.”

“Open up! I’m finally here!” Howard shouted through the door.

Bucky put his head in his hands. “Oh god, I’d forgotten.”

Steve laughed, getting up and making his way to the door. How anyone could forget Howard’s dramatics, Steve didn’t know. Although, it was quite easy to forget just who Howard really was. All the Invaders had ever really used him for, was annoying the shit out of him while thanking him profusely for making their wildest weapon dreams come true.

He opened the door to see Howard grinning like a mad man. “So, it’s true. You’re really back. Otherwise…” He walked in, his eyes darting about the room, “Phillips wouldn’t have given you this.”

Steve closed the door. “Yeah, we’re back. For now.”

Bucky was leaning on the back of the couch, eyeing Howard. “So, did you just miss us, or is there a reason you’re here?”

“I missed you both, obviously.” He grinned. “Although, I was wondering if you needed me to help you with anything… Weapon wise.”

Bucky scoffed. “Maybe you shouldn’t do anything with weapons, Howard. Maybe, you should… I don’t know… go into the car industry?”

“Thought you hated my hovercar.”

“You exaggerate. I only wished it actually worked.”

“We’ll see where the future takes me.” His eyes flicked between them. “Where will the future take you?”

“For now, it’s letting us stay in America for a while,” Steve said, gesturing for all of them to sit at the dining table. “Of course, our future will be highly classified.”

Howard shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “You, yourself, are highly classified, Steve.”

“So are you,” Bucky chimed in. “I mean, when we looked at the files, there’s a large gap in yours.”

“Happens when the SSR claims you sold your own weapons you thought too dangerous on the black market. And then… everything that happened with Leviathan.”

“Ah, evil organisations and their obsession with water monsters.”

Howard tilted his head. “Leviathan… HYDRA… Huh. Maybe it’s because the sea is evil.”

Steve laughed. “Well, I remember the water trying to keep me under so… it’s evil alright.”

“I did… actually want to talk about something,” Howard said quietly, as if someone could have been listening. Or perhaps, because the matter was serious. “It’s about the Tesseract.”

“What about it?” Steve said tightly. He made sure to leave out in his report that the Tesseract fell out of the plane before he crashed. The last thing he wanted was for it to end up in the wrong hands.

“The SSR wants it.”

“So?”

“So… they’re gonna search for it. And I refuse to, after everything that’s happened with powerful weapons, even in the right hands.” He closed his eyes. “It’s best left in the ocean. You need to lie.”

“I already did.”

“You did?” Bucky asked. “You thought ahead for once?”

Steve scowled at him. “Yes. Don’t worry, it’s far from where the plane is.”

Howard nodded, seemingly pleased. “They’ll always look.”

“I know… We can only hope it stays there for as long as possible. Long enough for people to forget HYDRA’s weapons. Let it fade into obscurity, buried and redacted.”

“I have no doubt I could research it to better humanity but…”

“It’s not worth the risk.” Bucky glanced away, his brow slightly furrowed. “You researched that little piece, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So, you’re a genius, an engineer, a pioneer in the latest technology.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m sure you’ll work out how to better humanity without having it actually in your possession.”

Howard stroked his chin. “Okay, Bucky. You might be right.”

“Wow, are _you_ being modest?” Steve asked, grinning.

“No! I’m so smart, smarter than both of you. The cleverest guy in this room. I’ll work it all out, just you wait.”

There was a brief silence before they all descended into laughter. Steve was overly amused at Howard trying to take back his modesty. Not that he didn’t believe in him. Howard could create anything if he set his mind to it. As long as physics allowed it, he could do anything. And everyone knew that, which didn’t help his ego at all.

“So,” Howard began as their laughs died down, “I invited Peggy and Angie to dinner tomorrow. Do you want to join?”

“Sure,” Bucky said, smiling. “We only get a week to feel like normal human beings.”

Steve shook his head. “Don’t be so dramatic, Buck.”

“Dramatic? Come on, Stevie.”

“You are the king of dramatics.”

“And you’re the queen, which makes you objectively worse, punk.”

“No it doesn’t, jerk.”

Howard did a double take, looking at them as if they’d just perplexed his entire brain. “I think you’re both equally dramatic.” He leant forward. “Can I guess something?”

Bucky regarded Howard with some amount of caution. “Sure.”

“I saw it in Greenland, but I see it more now.” He smiled. “You’re… you’re like me. And you’re in a relationship.”

“Now, how could you tell that?” Steve asked.

“Your closeness. It’s inspiring.”

“I thought you were nothing but a womanizer.” Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“Well, if it were more legal, I’d be a mananizer too.”

“Wouldn’t it be manizer?”

“Mananizer is better.”

Steve smiled as Howard and Bucky rallied back and forth over if it would be mananizer or manizer. Either way, Steve didn’t really care. It was nice to know Howard was like them, which only added another to their group. Maybe it would bring them closer than they already were. With Peggy and Angie, him and Bucky, and Howard. All knowing each other more than most ever would.

\--

Angie rested her head on her hand, eyes flicking to Steve. “So, you’re working for the same people as Pegs?”

“Angie,” Peggy drawled. “I’ve explained this.”

“I wanna hear him talk about it.”

Steve glanced at Bucky before twisting his mouth. “There’s things only Bucky and I know, for now. It’s classified.” He shrugged. “However, I can tell you, the job is not as glamorous as some people like to think.”

“It’s fun though,” Bucky said with a grin.

Howard clapped his hands together, drawing attention to him as he came into the room. “Dinner will be ready in five minutes.” He took a seat adjacent to Peggy and Steve, which happened to be at the head of the table. “What are you talking about?”

Peggy sighed. “The SSR.”

Howard rolled his eyes. “Let’s not talk about work?”

“Can I talk about mine?” Angie asked excitedly.

Everyone gestured for her to continue.

“Well, I’ve got an audition on Thursday. But, as usual, I think they’re gonna give it to one of those girls that look pretty but can hardly act.” Her eyes shifted. “But that’s only my opinion.”

“Thought you said people just need good legs,” Peggy teased, as if it was an old joke.

“No. I said _you_ have legs good enough for Broadway.” She leaned forward. “Anyway. I think I’ve got as good a chance as any of getting this part. If only the industry wanted good acting instead of pretty faces.”

Peggy gazed at Angie wistfully. “Good you have both then.”

Angie blushed a small bit. “Well… Anyway… I hope I get it.”

Howard grinned, and from what Steve could tell, he had the expression on that only spelled disaster. “I’m sure you will, Angie. Peggy did mention your performance in front of the SSR agents.”

“She was so good!” Peggy gushed.

“And by mention, I mean, it was all she talked about for hours.”

Steve grinned ear to ear. “Peggy talked non-stop about your acting and _you_ in her letters.”

“Yeah.” Bucky knocked his shoulder. “We’d debate if you two were into each other. Spent many hours wondering if it was possible.”

Angie leant into Peggy. “Thank goodness it was possible. Thought I was gonna go crazy with my pining.”

“Pining,” Peggy said, half choking on air. “How was I so blind?”

“It’s a symptom of being queer, Pegs,” Bucky said. “Kinda goes with the whole hidden thing.”

Howard let out a sigh. “I wish I wasn’t rich and famous.”

Everyone turned to him, eyes wide and confused. Howard was about the least apologetic about both his fame and his money. In fact, he used his money and genius to woo dates. Or more… a good time. No one could hold him down, not for now anyway.

“Because you can’t express yourself like we can?” Angie asked, brow set in a frown. She was far more perceptive than Steve had previously already given her credit for.

“Exactly.” Howard twisted his glass, staring at the wine whirling around. (Hardly anyone had touched their drinks yet, on Peggy’s rule to not get immediately sloshed, as she put it). “I mean, I’ve been with a couple guys but… It’s dangerous. I’m recognisable, I could get found out.”

Steve thinned his lips. “If you want a relationship with a guy, you gotta find someone you trust with your entire life. Or… move to Sweden and lay low for a few years so people forget you.” He gave a comforting smile. “Sweden is a very progressive place.”

His eyes flicked to Steve. “Oh… yeah. You and Bucky were stationed there… How does it compare?”

Bucky glanced to the ceiling, as if he was recalling a memory. “Our neighbour knew about us and didn’t care.”

“Wow.”

“Oh my, we could only dream,” Angie said.

“I’m sure there are other countries that are progressive too,” Peggy whispered.

Steve knew fine well just how many there really were. “There are.”

Howard’s eyes sparkled as he looked to everyone. “America needs to hurry up and get with the programme.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Angie exclaimed with a grin.

At that moment, Jarvis came into the room and cleared his throat. Howard sprung from his seat and followed him out. Shortly after, he returned with a cart of food. With four little baskets of bread, and four dinner plates filled with a lamb roast.

They tucked in. Sipping at their wine. Digging into their food, each in their own individual way. Bucky buttered up a slice of bread and stuffed it all in his mouth, causing Steve to laugh and for Howard to grimace. Peggy ate the dish as a whole, while Angie separated everything into piles and ate each individually. Howard, meanwhile, ate efficiently, as if it was a race.

“You know,” Steve said, twirling his fork, the lamb on the end flopping back and forth, “we’re gonna be the people who change things. Every single one of us has the power to do something about the future. All of our generation do.”

“So, why let it be the same?” Angie wondered aloud.

“Yep.”

Howard nodded. “We’ve got to build a better future, for everyone.”

Bucky’s eyes lit up. “Flying cars, Howard, we need flying cars.”

“I can certainly try my best.”

Peggy rolled her eyes. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind just having a future that treats everyone equally.” She shrugged, smirking. “My standards are low though.”

Bucky pointed casually to her. “A future that treats everyone equally _as well_ as having flying cars.”

Howard chuckled, sipping at some wine. “You seem a little obsessed, Bucky.”

“I just… I wanna see something like that _work_.”

“Me too, pal.”

Steve shook his head, laughing softly. “Bucky wants everything in his sci-fi books to be true.”

Bucky nodded slowly. “You’re not wrong there.”

“Well,” Angie glanced to each and every one of them, “I’m excited for it all.” She raised her glass. “To the future then?”

“To the future,” the rest of them chanted.


	4. Schnapps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, it's endgame day. I hope we all survive.

The research Phillips had done into the spies had been, immense. When Steve and Bucky first got into the office on Monday morning, they returned to the secluded room and dug into all the info. By the time midday rolled around, they saw how far the conspiracy creeped into sections of the SSR, the military. These spies had managed to wrangle their way into respected positions, something that was likely crucial in the war. But their decisions leaked down to the innocent, every day workers.

To root these guys out, would mean replacing them. They would have to get them fired from their positions. For the SSR, Phillips had already done just that. In fact, he even had agents take them down. Leaving three. Which only further begged the everlasting question over why he’d used Steve and Bucky this whole time when other agents were there to do the job.

But that was a question for the end of this, not the beginning of the end.

Still being in the army brought perks. Since Steve and Bucky being here at all was more of a loan than them actually solely working for the SSR. It was complicated and unneeded, but Steve was still a Captain and Bucky a Sergeant. For now, at least. Perhaps only until SHIELD.

It was easy, really. All they had to do was present the evidence, then, pretend to arrest them, only to kill them later. Probably. They’d actually have to be taken to the Rat, and the likelihood of them having any chance of killing them there was… low. Although, hope was there.

“As much as I don’t wanna say it,” Bucky said as he collected the files and placed them in a case. “After this, our only worry is Michael.”

“Whoever he really is, we’ll get him. And when we do, we’ll find his true self.” Steve sighed, standing and glancing to the door. “It could happen to anyone. In fact, with Howard, it did happen. Sometimes, its hypnosis, simple words getting into someone’s head.”

“Other times it systematic, controlled. It changes who you are, how you think. And you’ll die for their cause without hesitating.”

“Exactly.” Steve turned to Bucky, lips thinned. “But they didn’t get to you.”

Bucky closed his eyes. “Trust me, Steve, they would have if you hadn’t have rescued me when you did.” He gave a faint smile. “Anyway, Zola didn’t know how to deal with an enhanced mind.”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

He shrugged, which didn’t ease Steve’s conscience. “It is what it is.”

When they exited the room, case in hand. A guy, no, the Chief, was leaning on the wall, looking at them. He appeared to be composed and gave off an aura of someone with the power to make tough decisions. But Steve had been right the first time, he was young and perhaps, he had a lot to prove to himself. Although, he couldn’t be sure of that, yet.

“Phillips likes keeping you two secret.” He pushed away, standing tall. “I’m Chief Thompson.”

Bucky regarded him with a raised eyebrow. “Pleasure to meet you, unfortunately we don’t have time to talk.”

Steve smiled. “Sorry. We have an important meeting.”

Thompson shook his head. “Look, Phillips tells me nothing, but I know who you are. Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes. If you must use this office at your own convenience, be discreet. I don’t need my agents getting excited because a couple of Invaders are hanging around.”

“Look,” Bucky said, his tone a little forceful, “we’ve heard things about you. So, if you wanna be a big and mighty Chief, how about you respect all your agents? Not just the men.” He clutched the case tighter, as if he was giving him a warning.

Thompson scoffed, shaking his head. “I know the Invaders were a powerful team, but here, you’re just agents.”

“If that’s what you believe, you haven’t been paying attention to what’s really going on.” Steve smirked and began walking away. Bucky followed immediately. “Dunno what’s got him riled.”

“He’s nervous because we’re a threat. No guy wants to lose his leadership position.”

“He’s gotta get with the times and learn more about himself before he has any right to lead like he has been.”

“I’m sure Peggy will handle him just fine.”

\--

With their evidence, they arrived at Washington DC. They were taken to the Pentagon in black cars, as it was paramount this was kept as secret as possible. Lest, the spies find out and scatter. It’s why they’d done it in such a particular way. Destabilise HYDRA by taking out one of the highest-ranking officers first. Going after lower soldiers second. Then looping back around to take out more high-ranking officers. Leaving only spies, who had been arrogant in their placement.

They were led to a room, something akin to a boardroom. Generals stood before them, and if Steve was thinking right, the President was off to the side, watching intently. Strangely enough, beside him was Phillips, looking grim. As if he had bestowed this upon the army somehow. HYDRA was a plague, and unfortunately, the US had been the flea. But not for any longer, because HYDRA was almost dead, which meant the world could rise again.

Bucky stepped forward, placing the case down. “This is all the evidence you need.”

“Sergeant Barnes,” the president said, stepping forward. “Captain Rogers. Thank you both for bringing the evidence safely.” He stood tall. “You have done this country a great service, destroying HYDRA like you have.”

As the president looked to one of the generals, he grimaced, as if he disagreed. “However, were your methods really necessary?”

“Our orders were given by our commanding officer, Sir,” Steve said, squaring his shoulders before relaxing. “HYDRA is worse than the Nazis, if any one of them was left, they would grow again. We were told as much from the horse’s mouth.”

Bucky nodded. “It hasn’t been easy, but we believe in our mission. HYDRA cannot be left to regrow heads.”

Phillips smiled slightly from where he stood. “With all due respect, my agents are not here to be questioned.”

“Colonel, the people that have been assassinated could have been used in the coming war,” the president said.

Steve had to repress a roll of his eyes at the idea that their country could go to war so soon. “Their methods would be more damning than the bombs that were dropped on Japan, Sir.”

The president tilted his head. “How so?”

“You don’t need to know the details,” Phillips said. “Just know a power that can disintegrate people was not their only weapon.”

The president nodded. “Then you can continue.” He turned to one of the generals. “Make sure these spies are fired and captured.” He looked to Phillips. “And take them to wherever the other agents are.”

Phillips gave a nod. “Yes, Sir.”

The president’s gaze landed on Steve and Bucky. “Your work will benefit the people of this nation. Don’t lose sight of your goal.”

“Yes, Sir,” they chimed.

They waited with Phillips in a secluded area. The HYDRA spies were to be brought to them, so they could transport them to the Rat. Here, they weren’t just on their knees, they had been buried alive, and now, they were suffocating on the little air they had left. Once they were in the Rat, who knew what could happen.

People went missing all the time.

Maybe not from prisons, but who really kept track of HYDRA other than the SSR? In fact, so few people had been assigned this mission, it almost made Steve think it was never meant to go ahead. As if, without him and Bucky, the mission would have failed before it started.

It wasn’t long before soldiers came up to them with three handcuffed HYDRA spies.

“So,” Steve said, glancing over them. They were young, maybe in their early 30s at the oldest. One was a woman, dressed in a flowy dress with glasses. The other two were men, in a similar uniform to the soldiers. “This is the last of you.”

The woman wrinkled her nose. “No. How dare you suggest–”

“There’s no more heads to replace the ones we’ve cut off,” Bucky cut in. “Look around you. HYDRA lost.”

“We still have plans.”

“Zola? Yeah, we know.”

One of the men scoffed. “HYDRA will always be here, it always has been.”

Steve clenched his jaw. “All of those who were part of the cult are gone too. It’s over.”

“Rogers. Barnes,” Phillips called, sadly bringing their goading to an end. “Come on, we have to get these agents to their new home.”

“Once you’ve cauterised the wound,” Steve remarked, grabbing the two men, “a head cannot grow.”

Bucky took hold of the woman, his brow slightly furrowed. “I always thought limb would sound better than head, you know?”

“Cut off one limb… Yeah, makes sense. The head could class as a limb.”

“Shut _up_ ,” the woman whispered.

Steve tilted his head. “Did you hear that? Sounded like a HYDRA agent?”

“It’s your hearing, Rogers,” Bucky joked, no humour in his voice. “HYDRA’s dead and gone.”

\--

It was almost as if things were normal when they got back to the New York office. No longer was America threatened by HYDRA spies, no one in the world was. It meant they could move on to a more pressing matter. There was only one last loose thread. One they weren’t sure how to approach.

Steve whisked up to Phillips, in the dark room. “We haven’t told you something, and it’s important.”

Phillips sighed and sat back, pushing his sandwich aside. “Why wait to tell me?”

“We figured it would be easier and safer to tell you in person, after the spies were dealt with.”

“Go on then.”

Bucky placed a hand on his hip. “A British soldier called Michael committed war crimes during the war.”

“What do you know exactly?”

“Wolfgang Brenner spoke of witnessing a massacre of soldiers and prisoners, at the hands of one man with a machine gun. Brenner said he’d been brainwashed into HYDRA’s thinking.”

Steve folded his arms. “We’re not sure who he is, or how to track him down. The spies may have more insight, but Brenner told us he was the only survivor of that particular war crime.”

“From what we gathered from other officers, people were scared to talk about the massacre and any other war crime associated with Michael.” Bucky’s eyes turned icy. “The spy who once informed Brenner of this guy is dead, and he wasn’t killed by us. He died to a bullet through the chest.”

“We think if you dig too deep, you end up dead,” Steve said, spitballing.

“Then don’t dig, I’m not losing my best agents.”

Steve shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sir. But it’s best we wipe all of HYDRA’s plague off the map. If this includes Michael, then we have to go after him by drawing him out. He’s a brainwashed HYDRA soldier, and probably the guy who killed the spy. We at least owe it to him to get him home, even if it’s in a prison.”

“I have a better offer for you both.” Phillips leant forward. “Zola has been far too persuasive with his prison guards. Care to wipe out the two highest-ranking HYDRA officers we’ve ever had in our custody?”

Bucky’s lips curled up in a horrifying smile. “Absolutely.”

“I’ll sent you transport to the Rat. Wait outside.”

“Yes, sir,” Steve and Bucky said at the same time, walking out of the office.

They weren’t waiting outside long before a car rolled up to them. They dove in and didn’t have to say a word as the car headed off, going to the Rat. Steve and Bucky were some of the lucky few to have the privilege of knowing where the Rat was. Some agents had to be blindfolded as they were taken there, but Phillips trusted them.

The journey was long, the day turned into night before they knew it. But once they arrived, they were in their element. They entered to find agents nodding to them, expecting their arrival. An agent quickly briefed them on what was happening. First, every HYDRA soldier would be rounded up and killed. Steve and Bucky would have full reign over what they wanted to do with Zola and Reinhardt.

They ended up standing at the side-lines, watching as every single HYDRA soldier, other than Zola and Reinhardt, were being led to a room where they’d be hung swiftly. The method was efficient, snapping their neck instantly. They had quite a few soldiers to get through.

“I have a plan,” Steve said. “A way to mess with Zola.”

“I’m listening.”

Before he knew it, Steve was walking up to Reinhardt’s cell, with a gun at his hip and guards at his side. They opened his room and forced him up from his bed, where he’d been reading a book. The guards swiftly handcuffed him and walked him out of the room. As Reinhardt’s eyes landed on Steve, he furrowed his brow.

“Captain. Strange to see you here.”

“Well, Reinhardt, I wanted to personally give you the news that… your dear friend Wolfgang Brenner is dead.”

Reinhardt briefly clenched his jaw, a minute reaction. “You killed him?”

“No.” Steve laughed. “The poison did.”

He gestured for the guards to follow him down the way to Zola’s cell. The sooner he saw that man dead, the better. For all he did to Bucky. Torturing him, trying to brainwash him, forcefully giving him the serum.

“Good morning, Zola,” Steve said as he peeked into his cell. The guards swiftly handcuffed him.

“It’s morning, is it?” Zola asked, being guided out of the cell. As his eyes landed on Reinhardt, his face was a picture of shock. “So, this is the end of HYDRA?”

“Our image will live on,” Reinhardt said.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Not if I have anything to do with it.”

Reinhardt scoffed. “And what can a man with a shield ever do?”

Steve took the lead and had them follow him to a secluded room. The last room they’d ever see.

“I’m not a man with a shield. I’m the guy who makes sure that anyone who was HYDRA goes to hell safely.”

Once they got to the room, the guards lined Zola and Reinhardt against the wall. There were shackles tied to the wall, the guards attached them to their feet. They weren’t going anywhere, they would die in captivity, and Steve couldn’t wait to throw them into the ground. Bucky came into the room, gun trained on Zola, who went pale at seeing the person he once had control over.

How the mighty had fallen.

“Soldier,” Zola regarded Bucky, staring at him as sweat rolled down his temple.

“Nice to see you too, Doc. It was good of you to pump my body full of the serum…” He raised his gun, gesturing to it vaguely. “I could kill you with this, or would you prefer to see my strength?”

Zola visibly winced. Good. “You would be nothing without me.”

Bucky scoffed. “Any last words?”

“Hail HYDRA,” Zola said, stern, eyes on the gun.

Bucky wasted no time in pulling the trigger. The bullet shot right through Zola’s head, causing his body to crumple down, blood leaking out of the wound peacefully. As if death was somehow graceful. Maybe it was. Though, a man like Zola, he was going straight to the worst part of hell.

Steve raised an eyebrow at Reinhardt, daring him to say something.

“You cannot kill an idea.”

Steve shot him down. His body twitched and fell, lying parallel to Zola’s. It was almost poetic.

“Yes, you can.”

\--

They got a call from Phillips, asking to meet at a quiet diner, just after opening time. Which was strange, because normally, the last place he’d be seen was in public. Phillips kept to Camp Lehigh and the darkness of the SSR offices, not in a diner where anyone could see them. And certainly not in the light of day. But the world could surprise them, Steve guessed.

They saw Phillips sitting in a secluded corner, and the two slipped into the booth. For once, they didn’t interrupt as Phillips finished off the bacon he’d been eating. He gave them a look once he was done, pushing his plate away.

“I asked you here because, I want to congratulate you both.”

He stopped talking as a waitress came over. Steve smiled and ordered two coffees swiftly, so that Phillips could continue his story. Steve wanted to hear this, because he sensed something else was to come.

“Stopping HYDRA will no doubt save thousands of lives in the process. However, while you were away, a new threat arose.” Phillips placed a file on the table, pushing it over. Bucky picked it up and peeked inside. “Leviathan.”

“And you want us to go after them?” Steve asked.

“To put it simply, yes.”

Bucky placed the file to the side, his eyes snapped to Phillips. “And what about Michael?”

“You can continue to hunt him down, but I need you to prioritise.”

Steve shared a brief look at Bucky before his shoulders slumped. He had to admit, from what they had heard, Leviathan was not to be messed with. They were the right people for the job. “As long as you answer one question.”

Phillips raised an eyebrow but gestured for them to continue.

“Other agents were gaining info on our targets.” Steve folded his hands on the table. “Why were we the ones to carry out the hit?”

Phillips thinned his lips. “The short answer is, because I can trust Captain America and Bucky Barnes.” He sighed. “The long answer? The mission could only be fully authorised if you, Rogers, were ready for it. I wanted Barnes with you because his kill count was only second to yours, out of all your team.”

“That doesn’t answer why _we_ always had to kill the agents,” Bucky said.

“I knew, better than anyone, that you could get in and out. Other agents hesitate, but–” He turned to Steve. “On your first mission, you didn’t hesitate, and you brought four hundred men back. Barnes, your skills in stealth were needed on this mission. And I knew you would both stop at nothing to keep the other safe and alive. That’s what I needed out in the field, that’s who I needed to destroy HYDRA.”

Steve tilted his head ever so slightly. He knew it made sense, he knew what he and Bucky were now. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to know Phillips’s motives. “And you hope we’ll do it again?”

“Not in the exact same way. You won’t be killing every target. We’ve heard that Leviathan relies on certain items that are of interest to the SSR.”

Bucky nudged Steve and gave him a _look_. There was something in his eyes that said ‘no’, that the fall of HYDRA should have led to normal SSR work, not more of the same. But his pinched mouth and raised eyebrows told Steve that this was their life now.

“We’ll do it, as long as we can search for Michael.”

“If you do this,” Phillips said, “then I’ll let you do whatever you need.”

\--

After their morning with Phillips, Steve and Bucky spent the rest of the day researching at the Company Bell office. They were reluctantly given permission from Thompson to question all agents who had been involved in the Leviathan case. They ended up ankle deep in reports, with notes from each interview. Most of the information was hardly useful, and Phillips had said they’d get more news soon. However, they had to be realistic. Leviathan was new to them, HYDRA had been an old enemy.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Peggy said, approaching them, shaking her head. “Everyone else went home an hour ago.”

Steve lifted his head, brow furrowed. “Liar. Thompson, Sousa and you are all still here.”

“While that is accurate, we’re workaholics, and I refuse to let you both succumb to it too.”

Bucky blew out a breath, throwing a file down. “Pegs is right, Steve. Let’s go.”

“Howard is visiting tonight. You should come.”

“Alright, Peggy,” Steve said with a smile. “Will there be any good wine?”

“Howard says we’re going to get ‘smashed’ on schnapps.”

“Guess I won’t then.”

Bucky laughed, looping a sly arm around Steve. “If you try hard enough, maybe you’ll get a buzz.”

“Maybe.”

Peggy laughed and shook her head, helping to haul the two off the ground. They quickly packed away the files, returning them to whence they came and soon were heading out, into the wild streets of New York. They caught a taxi and ended up at Peggy’s house at no time at all.

She wasted no time in unlocking the door and letting them all in. Of course, the first thing they heard was Howard shouting ‘Who wants schnapps’ before Angie came running up to Peggy and hugging her tightly.

“I got the part!” she squealed.

Steve breathed out slow. “This is more chaotic than Valencia.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “No, it’s not that bad. More like Carlow.”

“Hey!” Howard called. “Shut up about references to shady missions! Haven’t you heard Angie got the part?!”

Steve turned to see Angie passionately kissing Peggy. “I think she’s occupied.”

Howard popped out of nowhere and raised his eyebrows at the sight. “Right.” He held up a bottle with a shaky – tired – hand. “Schnapps?”

“Are you drunk?” Bucky asked, grinning.

“No. Maybe. I had whiskey before this.”

“Why?”

“An experiment made my brain hurt?”

Bucky plucked the bottle out of his hand. “Maybe you need a sit down. I’ll handle this.”

“Don’t steal it, Barnes, or I will…” Howard furrowed his brow. “Oh… never mind, there’s fifteen bottles, isn’t there?”

“Yes, there is,” Angie said, her voice a little breathless, her arms wrapped around Peggy. She turned to Howard. “How much whiskey did you have before this?”

“Too much? I’m fine.”

Laughing, Steve helped Howard into the main living room and set him down on the couch. Since they were here to get ‘smashed on schnapps’, Steve grabbed a glass and filled it with the stuff, handing it to Howard with a smile. As he accepted the offering, Howard gave a warm smile, gulping some of it down before settling.

Bucky was busy filling a glass for Peggy, Steve and himself. He was grinning brightly, vaguely watching as Angie folded onto the couch, bringing Peggy down on top of her. They lazily kissed, though there was a lot of joy there, from Angie getting the part. Steve wasn’t entirely sure what audition got her here, but whichever it was, he was glad.

Once everyone had a drink (despite the fact Steve knew fine well he and Bucky couldn’t get drunk), Howard proposed that they should all take a large gulp. It ended with coughs and spluttering, and with Bucky refilling some glasses due to the stuff splashing everywhere.

Steve was in hysterics, watching as Howard blissfully sat back, throwing a napkin to Peggy, who had a slightly soaked lap, yet stayed wound around Angie. And how Bucky was becoming more of a servant as the seconds ticked on. It was amazing and as far as he could tell, _only Howard was drunk_. They were in for one hell of a night.

“So, your audition,” Steve prompted as Bucky finally got to sit down.

“My audition!” Angie exclaimed, her eyes were as bright as an explosion. Which probably accurately described her mood. “It finally happened. I got it just right, I knew that as soon as I finished my lines. I had put my heart and soul into my performance for the producers, and they _loved_ it. Said I was made for their play.”

Bucky blinked, a slow smile crawled upon his face. “Wow. You must be real proud of that.”

“I am! I can’t believe it! But it’s true!”

“I’m so happy for you Angie,” Steve said. And he really was. He hardly knew her, it had been such a short time, but he did care for her ambitions. He came to the conclusion that they’d become friends this last week. “I’m sure you’ll be at home on the stage.”

“I will be! I can’t wait for rehearsals, for everything.” Her smile never left her lips.

“That’s why we’re getting smashed!” Howard shouted, suddenly more awake than he was. “We’re all beginning to get somewhere, that’s what counts!” He twisted to face Steve and Bucky. “I heard you two have been given a hard task. Leviathan is no HYDRA on its knees.”

Bucky took a swig of his drink. “Maybe not. But let’s say HYDRA was the test, Leviathan seems like the real thing.”

“A _test_.” Steve shook his head. “I think you’re forgetting the firefight we had over the Nile.”

“Oh… Yeah, well, Leviathan is HYDRA at its height.”

“Fair.”

“What I meant was,” Howard cut in, swirling his drink, “is that Phillips is giving you both a lot of responsibility.”

“We’re ready for it,” Bucky affirmed.

Peggy gave a curt nod, drinking a small bit. “Yeah, you’re both more spy than soldier now. I’m sure you could rival Underwood’s abilities.”

“Underwood.” Steve cocked his head. “Nah. Only you can do that.”

“Maybe…”

Bucky looked to Howard with narrowed eyes. “You said ‘we’re all beginning to get somewhere’. How does that apply to you?”

Howard sat up straight, sloshing a little schnapps in the process. He got up to refill it. “I was looking at my old designs for my hovercar. I _think_ if I had the right amount of energy, it could work.”

“Like the Tesseract’s energy?”

“Maybe not that much.” He grinned, sitting back down with a full glass. “Just need to develop the technology.”

Peggy groaned. “Please, stop. Can’t we just… talk about other things?”

“Like what?” Steve asked, sipping his schnapps, savouring the flavour.

“I don’t know… What about–” She pointed to Howard. “First boy you had a crush on.”

Howard bit at the inside of his cheek. “I was nine, I think… and there was this boy in my class. He and I used to play games together. I’d be the professor and he’d be my assistant, things like that, and–” A small smile crossed his lips. “He was cute, and I miss him sometimes.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet, Howard!” Angie exclaimed.

Bucky smirked. “Makes it sound like you were innocent once.”

“I was! I was a kid!”

Steve laughed, shaking his head. “Does that mean Howard gets to ask a question now, Peggy?”

Peggy hummed. “Let’s work...” She drew a vague zig-zag in the air. Which meant the order was Howard, Bucky, Angie, Steve and Peggy.

Howard leant back into the corner of the couch. “Bucky. When did you realise you were in love with Cap over there?”

“It was stupid really.” Bucky glanced to Steve, taking his hand and entwining their fingers. “It was during the war, before one of the HYDRA base missions. And the night before, Steve was helping Dum Dum with meal prep.” He looked to Steve adoringly. “You dropped a spoon into the mud, which already caused everyone to laugh.”

“Yeah…” Steve shook his head, remembering that night clearly. “I picked it up, was caked in mud.”

Bucky giggled a small bit, turning to everyone else. “He pretended it was ice cream, and damn near licked some off. I had to tear the thing away from him before disaster struck.” He paused, biting at his lip. “And all I could think about was how much I loved you.”

“You loved me all the way back then?”

“Yeah, yeah, I did.”

Steve couldn’t quite believe it. That Bucky had been harbouring those feelings for so long before they’d kissed. He had to watch Steve with someone else, and only when he nearly died did he take action. That was truly… Well, it was Bucky all over. He shifted, leaning over to kiss Bucky’s temple, smiling.

“Of course,” Peggy chimed in. “Of course that would be a sickly sweet story.”

“Hey!” Bucky called. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know, Barnes, I expected more.”

“You have no right to judge me, Carter.”

She smirked. “Maybe not. I do suppose you took a plunge I could never take.”

Angie laughed, swatting Peggy on her arm. “Stop battling with Bucky. Speaking of which,” She pointed to Bucky, “your turn.”

“Angie… what’s the _worst_ thing about living with Peggy?” He smirked, a glint in his eye. “Don’t try to wheedle out of it. There’s always a worst thing.”

Steve furrowed his brow, glancing to Bucky. He had a feeling what his ‘worst’ thing was. And it consisted of using all of their food far too quickly. Bucky, on the other hand, _always read too late_. He managed to keep Steve up with the light, all the time.

Angie sighed, shifting Peggy – who was still in her lap. “Okay, English, don’t take this to heart.”

Peggy raised an eyebrow. “Okay…”

“I hate how you bring work home. You know, files that shouldn’t be here hidden under the bed. Or when you leave your gun on the dresser. And let’s not mention the _knives_ , okay?” Peggy opened her mouth to say something, but Angie held up her hand. “It isn’t a critique. I’d never tell you to stop, it’s just something I have to deal with. I know that.”

“Thank you, Angie. I’ll try to hide it better next time, though.”

“Sounds good, English.” Her eyes snapped to Steve. “Okay, Rogers, you ready?”

“I am.”

“What would past you think of this you being with Bucky?”

“Huh…” Steve glanced to the ceiling, staring into nothing to really think this one through. All their questions had been in jest, but past Steve was a wildly different person. “He’d probably punch me in the jaw, thinking I was ‘ruining’ Bucky. I dunno, past me wasn’t as accepting of himself as much as I am.”

Bucky shook his head. “Always with the violence.”

“Past me was worse, you know that.”

“I do.” With a chuckle he lay his head on Steve’s shoulder. “Past you would absolutely punch you in the jaw, and past me would punch me in the balls for ‘taking advantage’ or something shitty like that.” He chuckled more so. “Idiots, past us were idiots.”

“You can say that again.”

Angie wore a soft expression, her eyes gleaming. “I’m glad your past selves are not your current ones. I don’t know how you’d manage to punch yourselves.”

That drew a chuckle out of everyone. Peggy had done good suggesting this game, it was revealing bits and pieces. Good things. And it was good to joke with people who knew, just like anyone else would. Acceptance, that’s what this was. Acceptance, joking and way too much alcohol between friends.

“Peggy!” Steve exclaimed as they were all calming. “What was your first impression of Angie?”

Peggy’s eyes slipped to Angie, slowly dragging down her body, before retracting up to her face. Her lips parted a little before she smirked. “First, I saw her, and I thought, ‘bloody hell, that’s a good-looking woman’. Then she started talking and I knew, I _knew_ she was quick-witted and amazing.”

“Hold on.” Angie’s eyes became distant. “That first day I hardly said anything to you.”

“Darling, I watched you tell a man what’s what in the most polite and casual way.” Peggy kissed the corner of her mouth. “From there, it was easy to develop a crush on you.”

“That’s such a Peggy thing to do,” Howard said, laughing, drinking more. “Crushing on a woman just a strong as you.”

Angie rolled her eyes. “Ha. Ha. Howard. I’m not as strong as Pegs.”

“He’s right,” Peggy said. “That was part of it.”

With a smile, Angie kissed Peggy. It was sweet to see; their kiss was delicate yet firm. As if they were reaffirming their feelings for each other. Beautiful, that’s what it was. For them to feel free enough to do this around others, others like them.

Everything pretty much descended into some sort of ordered chaos after that. Each question brought Howard, Peggy and Angie closer to the ‘smashed’ requirement of the evening. While Steve and Bucky couldn’t get drunk, they were getting tired, which gave off a similar buzz. There was a constant warmth in the air, full of laughter and joy. And as they strayed away from romantic questions into random questions about themselves, Howard was reduced to giggles.

Peggy had only asked Howard if he believed science would be wholeheartedly accepted in the future. He only contemplated for a second before dying from laughter, which had been so infectious, Peggy and Angie burst out laughing too, spilling _more_ schnapps. Steve and Bucky couldn’t hold their laughter back either but were more aware of the situation than the others, calming faster.

 Steve could see they’d lost their friends to laughter. So, with all his tiredness, he snuggled into Bucky and nuzzled his hair with his nose. Sighing in the warmth and safety off it. Bucky wrapped Steve in his arms, holding him close while breathing little huffs of laughter into his ear.

“They’re all too drunk,” Steve whined.

“Aw, Stevie, you sound tired.”

“Closest I’ve felt to drunk in a long time.”

“Yeah, me too.” Bucky rubbed his hands over his back, comforting and warm. “Tonight has been something.”

“God, it has.”

“I feel, more than ever, that we’re making bonds for life.”

Steve pulled back a small bit, looking at Bucky, glancing to the others. “Yeah, you’re right. We are.”


	5. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has become my favourite thing after yesterday :)

Steve and Bucky stepped out of the airport and firmly onto French soil. 1947 had only just started, considering it was January 1st. They had good reason for being here. They stood outside for a moment, watching as Dum Dum struggled to carry three bags, after he’d offered to take Gabe’s and Jim’s off their hands. He wouldn’t dare offer to do that to Peggy, who was trailing behind without a bother. And he’d left Howard on his own, who had a suitably small bag for this occasion.

As Dum Dum struggled to get outside, Gabe laughed and took his bag back. “For god’s sake, Dum Dum.”

“Last time I offer anything to you fools.” He glared at Gabe and Jim who were both laughing their heads off.

Peggy smirked. “It was your own fault. I did warn you.”

They’d all travelled together, since they were all in New York at the time. With the holidays just passing, everyone had the chance to go home, and for once, they all had. No missions had conflicted, so they’d cooked up a quick plan to go to France for Jacques’s and Monty’s birthdays.

Monty had still been in England and assured everyone he could afford the flight. While Jacques had been pleased that he didn’t have to spend any money.

The 2nd of January was going to be an interesting party. It was the first time they’d all managed to meet up for a birthday, as per Steve’s original plan. For his own, only Peggy, Howard and Dum Dum had managed to make it. For Howard’s, it was only Steve, Bucky and Gabe. While Gabe’s had managed to bring everyone but Monty together, since he’d been ‘busy with work’ but wouldn’t admit what he did now. And, finally, for Jim’s, only Monty and Howard had been free. 

Which led to Monty’s and Jacques’s birthdays, where they were all available. It was perfect timing.

“Come on,” Howard said, slipping on some sunglasses. Which weren’t needed in _January_. “I have a car waiting for us.”

They set up in a hotel for the night, which only resulted in a little bickering between them all (mainly caused by Dum Dum’s big mouth), before Howard cut in and took the lead. He was the one who had the most experience in this. From there, things went more smoothly, as they all ended up in rooms. Of course, Steve and Bucky were in their own room, which seemed normal to everyone. Little did everyone but Peggy and Howard know, they would push the single beds together.

In the morning, chaos sparked back up as they dressed into clothes that were formal enough but not _formal._ They weren’t normal everyday clothes either. Since they were spending the day in some hall Jacques and Monty had agreed to, they had to dress right, but not so much so since the group were old friends.

Once they got there, Monty and Jacques were waiting outside, huge grins on their faces. It was… interesting as everyone ran up to them, Steve wasted no time in pulling Monty into a hug. Which ended up with them all in one massive hug, smiling and laughing as they struggled in the intensity of it all. Monty and Jacques had perhaps become a bit squished.

“Happy birthday!” Bucky shouted, joyously.

Which ended up with each and every one of them shouting a ‘happy birthday’. As they all backed out of the hug – slowly – everyone was still grinning. Even if Peggy’s hair was a mess and Jacques looked like he’d been squashed by a car. Well… they _had_ always been a force.

“So, lads, what do you say to a drink?” Monty asked, rubbing his hands.

“I’ll say I’m not a lad,” Peggy remarked with a wide smile, “but I never say no to a drink.”

“Har, har, Peggy. We all know you’re one of us.”

Dum Dum put one arm around Monty, and the other around Jacques. “Come on, birthday boys, I’m getting the first round.”

While Dum Dum was at the bar ordering all their drinks, the rest of them found themselves crammed in a booth. It didn’t startle them, not at all, they’d been in way worse situations than this. Being shoved into another’s shoulder was no new phenomenon. They all began getting presents out, setting them neatly on the table. One pile for Jacques, the other for Monty. They all came in various sizes and in various gift-wrapped styles. When Dum Dum returned with drinks – two at a time – he threw his own presents in to the pile, bringing a chair to the booth and laughing.

“You all look ridiculous,” he said.

“Thanks, Dum Dum,” Jacques griped, in jest. “Can we open the presents?”

“Yes!” Jim – almost – shouted. As everyone looked to him, he shrugged. “I think I did well.”

As it turned out, Jim did do quite well. He’d gotten Jacques a lighter that had a bomb painted onto the front and got Monty a fountain pen with his name engraved into it. Very good presents, considering Jim used to think presents didn’t have to be thoughtful.

Howard, on the other hand, had splashed out. _Of course_. Jacques laughed as he pulled a golden pin out, while Monty unwrapped a fedora, marvelling at its texture and colour. He claimed Howard was trying to woo him, and if Steve hadn’t been watching, he would have missed the light pink dusting to Howard’s cheeks.

Peggy had gotten them both cologne, stating that they really needed to raise the bar now they weren’t out on the frontlines. Steve couldn’t quite tell if she was teasing, or if she was being serious. Jacques did look pleased with the stuff, however, immediately spraying it on himself.

Dum Dum had gotten Jacques a book about survival techniques, claiming that he still wouldn’t be able to get by on his own. Peggy nearly spat her entire drink everywhere, laughing in Dum Dum’s face, and referencing a mission that the others knew nothing about. (Though Steve did know the new recruit had died on it). For Monty’s present, Dum Dum had gotten him a book on various teas. To which Monty laughed and reminded Dum Dum that the only tea for him was peppermint tea.

Gabe had gotten respectable presents, no teasing existent. He’d got Jacques his favourite kind of chocolate (milk with hazelnuts), while Monty received his favourite sweets (rosy apples).

Bucky had been… a little nuisance for the past month. When deciding what to get, he’d driven Steve up the wall. Since he couldn’t decide whether to tease or be thoughtful. In the end, he went for both. He’d gotten Jacques a pencil and a beaker, daring him to do something amazing, to which Jacques raised an eyebrow and snapped the pencil in half, citing that he’d do something interesting later. He’d gotten Monty a beautiful broach of a cloche hat. Monty took the hat Howard had gotten and attached the broach immediately.

Steve did drawings, of course. What else could he do? For Jacques, he’d drawn the team in a made-up scenario. The last time he’d seen him, Jacques had complained about how secret everything was between them now, he wished to see a simple time, where they could be like normal people. So, Steve had placed everyone in a park. Jacques was sitting in front of a smoking beaker, Dum Dum looking over his shoulder awed by the display. Howard was beside Jacques, hand on his shoulder, smiling. Peggy was throwing a shuttlecock at Steve, while Monty was reaching for it, badminton racket in his hand. Gabe was holding the other badminton racket, his eyes permanently rolled at the chaos. Jim was eating the remains of a picnic.

Steve hoped he’d managed to bring an almost impossible dream to life. As Jacques took the drawing in, his eyes quickly became watery.

“Steve… When I mentioned wanting normalcy… I never thought…” His eyes snapped to him. “Thank you, I will treasure this. Thank you.”

“I know it’s not the real thing, but I hope it’s enough.”

“It is. It really is. I love the chaos of it all.” He wiped his eyes. “Thank you.”

Dum Dum gave Jacques a soft smile. “You miss us that much?”

“According to you, Dum Dum, I couldn’t survive without you all.” He chuckled, placing the picture carefully down. “It’s everything for us to be all here.”

Slowly, nods spread throughout the group as they all murmured in agreement. They’d spent vast amounts of time together. Excluding Howard and Peggy, they used to be around each other 24/7 for a year and a few months. It was easy to miss one another. They knew things about each other that few else ever would.

Monty opened Steve’s present next, another drawing. This one featured Monty in the forefront, sipping at some tea, with a slice of Victoria Sponge in front of him. It looked as if he was ignoring the others, as, in the background, Jim was on Dum Dum’s back, clearly trying to get a piggy back. Tea was spilt on Dum Dum’s front, and Peggy was in front of him, looking down at the smashed cup on the floor, a small smile on her face. Gabe had his arm around Bucky’s shoulders, a lump of cake in his other hand, as if he was using it as a playful threat. Steve had another handful of cake, smirking at Bucky. Howard was creeping up behind Monty, with a plate of black pudding, the one type of food Monty _hated_ the smell of.

Monty stared at the picture for a moment before bursting out in laughter. “This is bloody brilliant, Steve! It’s all so in character, right down to Jim jumping on Dum Dum’s back and you and Gabe threatening Bucky with cake.” He glanced to Steve, grinning. “Thank you. It’s… Well, it makes me feel a little bit of home.”

 “Aww!” Jim cooed. “He sees us as home!”

Monty picked up his fountain pen. “Say that to anyone else and you’ll ruin my perfectly good reputation.”

“Ha! What reputation?” Gabe asked, laughing. “Unless… Oh, you’re one of us.”

Monty rolled the pen between his fingers, setting it down. “One of us?”

Dum Dum leant forward. “Intelligence.”

“I see you’re trying to dig, and it won’t work.”

“Intelligence, definitely,” Bucky called, smirking. “Come on, Monty, we know you’re one of us.”

Peggy eyed Monty carefully. “Wink once if it’s MI5, wink twice if it’s MI6.”

Monty smirked and winked twice.

“That settles that.”

“And… what are you, Jacques?” Monty asked.

Jacques shrugged. “I’m a humble fruit seller that may or may not have the army on his back about working for them.”

Howard leant on his hands. “Would you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I could use you at Stark Industries…”

“Sorry, Howard. I love my country too much to leave.”

“That’s understandable.”

“All of us need a home,” Jim said, nodding. “And your home is here, and that’s great.”

Jacques grinned. “Exactly.”

“So, is it still good to be a fruit seller?” Steve asked, he had wondered how Jacques could go back to a normal life. Even if it was something he hadn’t done before the war, it was still normal. The rest of them… well.

“I get to talk to people every day.” He took a swig of his drink. “I’m not sure I’ll continue it forever. I _would_ like to go into teaching.”

“And teach what?” Peggy asked with a curious gaze.

“Science? Maybe I’ll teach some languages.”

Dum Dum adjusted his bowler hat. “ _Well_ , we all know a few.”

Gabe smirked. “And you all know that’s partly due to me.”

“Don’t take all the credit,” Jim said, a mocking glint in his eyes. “Jacques helped us all learn French.”

Gabe waved him off. “Maybe.”

Jacques scoffed. “ _Maybe_. Definitely.”

They kept bickering back and forth like any family would. They joked and drank and were overly sarcastic for no reason. But that was them, that was who they were all together. A violent force tamed by the peace of the world now, or as much peace as the world could be at. Jacques and Monty got rowdier as they drank more, investigating their presents further.

At one point, Jacques tipped a little of Peggy’s whiskey into the beaker and used the lighter to heat it. It didn’t really boil, more bubbled and sizzled a bit before Jacques took the beaker and placed it in front of Peggy.

“Bam! Water.”

Peggy eyed the beaker. She sniffed and shook her head. “You and I both know that isn’t water.”

“Close enough.”

“You barely boiled it.”

“Close _enough_.”

Dum Dum snatched the beaker and sipped at a little. “Yep, close enough, Peggy.”

Steve chuckled happily at the ridiculousness of his friends. Everyone had huge grins on, laughing slightly at the display of… something, it was definitely something. Normalcy really brought a different vibe to them all.

It was like… peace. Yeah, they were all at peace in different ways.

\--

Both Leviathan and Michael were difficult missions. Leviathan was as complex as the SSR, but luckily, their orders were not like how it was with HYDRA. They mostly stole artifacts and gained bits and pieces of information. If they were to take down anyone, they needed proof, and they had to capture them. HYDRA was a beast that had to be destroyed, Leviathan was like a business – had its fingers in a lot of pies. You couldn’t kill that.

Michael, on the other hand, was little more than a ghost. They tried baiting him out, to no avail. They tried to find files, but without the right connections, it was too dangerous. And they crossed the line at infiltrating the British army or MI5. Maybe they would, if it came to it, but so far, they still had options.

So, sometimes, a day off was needed. And one particular day off in June, resulted in being at Howard’s mansion, sitting on a balcony, watching the world go by. Howard was nursing a glass of wine while Steve and Bucky had beers. They were all relaxing on loungers, with Howard examining a bit of burnt metal (Steve didn’t know what it used to be part of, but Howard was obsessed with it). Bucky was reading one of his many, many books, while Steve let his thoughts flow, peacefully.

Of course, no peace could last for long where old friends were concerned.

“So, I was thinking of what I wanna do,” Howard said, looking at the metal with a magnifying glass.

“Were you?” Bucky deadpanned, looking up from his book for the first time in an hour.

“You’re right about cars, and technology is important. Stark Industries should concentrate on that. But I was thinking… what about the film industry?”

“No weapons at all?”

“Only weapons I will make will be for SHIELD.” He paused for a beat. “When SHIELD is founded, I mean. Stark Industries, and any other business I could create, will be its own thing.”

Steve grinned. “Good on you, Howard.”

“You both inspired me, made me realise that the future is important. Destroying things isn’t part of the future I want to help build.”

If he and Bucky weren’t there, he wondered what Howard would have done instead. Clearly, he thought of them as a catalyst for this. Would Stark Industries focus more heavily on weapons? Would he easily give up a simpler life of business to concentrate on terrifying projects? Steve knew Howard’s genius was a dangerous thing, steered wrong, it could be used to create something worse than all they’d seen.

“If I wanted to test my theory for film making it means… moving to Los Angeles.”

Steve teasingly gasped. “Traitor!” 

Bucky snapped his book closed. “But you _can’t_ … think of what New York would be without you!”

Howard stared at them both for a second. “God, you two are more dramatic than me.”

“It’s all an act, darling,” Bucky chimed.

With a roll of his eyes, Howard said, “I like the place. It’s nice.”

“I’m sure it is. Send an invite once you’re out there.”

“Oh and,” Steve began, smirking, “don’t forget about us when you’re living it up in Hollywood.”

“I would _never_ forget about the most dramatic couple I have ever known.” Howard skimmed a finger over his piece of metal, his eyes flicking to the vast views. “You… Peggy and Angie… you all inspire me to be who I am. Not just the person who wants to express a side of him he can’t but also… who I always have been inside. I’m not a ruthless business man.” He sighed, his lips twitching upwards. “I’m just someone ready for change.”

“That’s a good thing.” Steve gave him a comforting smile. “We should never lose sight of who we are. Even if we get lost, there’s always a way back.”

“Do you ever feel lost?” Howard asked, his voice quiet. “I mean, I know you never wanted to kill anyone, Steve, but… it’s your job now.”

“I think I’d be lost if I didn’t have Bucky.” His eyes flicked to him and Bucky looked pleased with that. “I know I never wanted to kill anyone, and I stand by that now… But I think we all came out of the war as different people. I can kill someone without it haunting my dreams because I believe it’s the right thing to do. We can only do our best.”

“If he thought someone didn’t need to die, he wouldn’t kill them,” Bucky added, his gaze somewhat distant. Talking about killing wasn’t something they really did outside of missions.

Howard hummed. “I want us all to promise something, right now.”

“Okay.”

“Promise we’ll try to stay true to ourselves.”

“I promise,” Steve said without hesitating.

Bucky gave a curt nod. “I promise.”

Howard looked to them both, raising his glass. “I promise.”

\--

Steve was trying his best to read a book on the various species of bird that could be seen in New York, when there was a knock at the door. It was so eerily quiet that it echoed through the apartment. He sighed, closing his book and got up to answer.

When he did so, he saw Peggy, who rushed in and flopped down on the couch. Steve hadn’t even managed to get a simple greeting out.

“I’m conflicted,” she said, arm thrown over her face.

Steve closed the door, a little startled. “Hello to you too.”

She sat up. “Where’s Bucky?”

“Out with Becca. I decided to give them the day.” He shrugged. “They needed time to themselves. I hear that’s good for siblings.”

A sorrow look crossed Peggy’s face for a second. Steve supposed she still missed her brother. “Yeah, siblings do need that.”

“So… why are you conflicted?”

“I have to leave for Los Angeles in a few hours, I’m needed there by Daniel, but… Angie.”

Steve sat on the arm of the chair. “You’re afraid she won’t wanna go with you?”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.” Peggy sighed. “I have to pack… I don’t have time to–”

“Peggy.” She ignored him, brushing a hand through the ends of her hair. “Pegs. Look at me.” She locked eyes with him. “Just take Angie with you. Howard is going into the film industry over there, right?”

Peggy parted her lips slowly. “ _Oh_. I never thought of that.”

“I’m sure he’d be alright in giving you and Angie a room. Plus, he could take her on.” Steve stood, smiling. “Come on, Peggy, the SSR needs you. You also need your partner.”

“Might as well see what she says, right?”

“Right.”

She launched off the seat. “I don’t have much time.”

“Then you better get going.”

Peggy shot a smile his way. “Thanks, Steve. I just needed… reassurance.”

“Angie loves you, she’d follow you wherever.”

Peggy gave a curt nod before ducking back out of the apartment. Steve was left a little windswept by the whole ordeal. He’d barely had time to register what had happened before Peggy was leaving. He supposed that was because her flight was soon. And she would have to pack.

He knew Angie was dedicated to Peggy, _and_ it helped that she had no shows at the moment. It was entirely possible Peggy could be gone for at least a month if a case was taking her to the West coast. Though, he did find it strange that Sousa had asked for her directly. Especially after so many months of him ignoring her calls and letters.

He was about to sit back down when an envelope was slipped under the door. It seemed… oddly timed, but he went to retrieve it anyway. The handwriting wasn’t one he recognised, and there was already so few people it could have been from. He slipped the letter out of the envelope, unfolded the paper to find… some disturbing message.

It read:

‘ _Dear Agent Rogers:_

_I know where you live. I know those who you hold dear, and I know what you are trying to achieve._

_You will never find me if I don’t want to be found._

_Leave it be. Or I will kill you too._

_X’_

Steve dropped the letter and ran to the door, yanking it open. He ran down the stairs three at a time and jumped down them when that wasn’t fast enough. Once he got to the first floor, he found no one. He ran outside, looking around but found nothing but normal people going about their day. He sighed, hanging his head.

Goddammit. Michael had been within their reach. They had lost so many leads because they ended with someone dead, rather than with someone alive with information.

“Fuck,” he whispered, going back inside. He should have read faster or… opened the door immediately. It didn’t matter though, the letter told him exactly what he and Bucky needed to know.

They were close, and they _would_ get closer. They’d find Michael, and maybe they’d get a chance to release his brainwashed mind. Though, with the methods available to them, it was unlikely they’d ever get back the man he was once.

As he re-entered the apartment, he picked the letter up, skimming the details. The best they could do would be to analyse the writing, but without anything else to compare to, what would be the point?

Maybe… they were looking at it the right way. Their method was foolish, but Michael had confirmed it. They had to continue hunting him to draw him out, it was the only way.

\--

The push to find Michael while rounding up artifacts Leviathan held was a hard balancing act. And it didn’t help that Peggy was dealing with the unprecedented Zero Matter. Apparently, they were handling it, but who knew if they were telling the truth. Something as powerful as that was bound to be just as difficult as fighting against the Tesseract was, except, the weapon was the person.

Angie, on the other hand, was having the time of her life on the Stark Pictures set. Howard had loved her audition so much, that he’d employed her. He insisted he wasn’t biased and applauded how much her skills had grown over the last year. He was right, truly. Angie had managed to get a few shows under her belt, but if Howard kept this obsession up, she’d be a movie star in no time. Steve didn’t think any of them doubted that.

They had been chasing word of an artifact Leviathan were looking for, the Darkhold. A book that was extremely dangerous, according to what they could find out. And from the HYDRA agents they’d spoken to once upon a time, they had an inkling that Schmidt had once searched for it too. The risk was far too high if Leviathan found it. For all they knew, it could have been a myth. Though, for all they’d seen, they knew it could be true. So, there mission of late had been taking down any Leviathan agent that wished to find the Darkhold.

However, their mission came to an abrupt end as they chased down one agent in England. He’d run into a woodland area, after they’d chased him out of a small village. He was likely trying to find lore and history on the book. But as they chased him down, the agent stopped and held up his hands.

“Not even you will find it,” he said. “We’ve tried, but you keep hunting us down.”

“It’s our job to stop powerful organisations from acquiring weapons,” Bucky stated, drawing his gun.

“Yeah? And the SSR aren’t going to abuse that power? Don’t be so naïve.”

Steve scoffed. “You honestly think we wouldn’t kill anyone who would use a weapon like that?”

“You’d kill your own?”

“They’re not our own if they betray us.”

The agent hung his head. Slowly, he closed his eyes, standing tall. “Please, kill me quick.”

Bucky didn’t hesitate to fulfil his request. They cleaned up the body and moved on. It was good news, to hear the Darkhold was near impossible to find. It meant they had more time. And as they made it back to their lousy hotel room of the week, they found a letter on the ground. Steve proceeded with caution as he picked it up, half expecting to see Michael’s handwriting. But… strangely…

“That’s Monty’s scrawl, that,” Bucky said, looking over his shoulder. “Come on, open it.”

Steve ripped the envelope open and took a long hard look at the letter. “Thompson… has come into possession of a very classified file that might have something to do with a British soldier who defected.” He skimmed the words a couple more times, trying to see if there was any more to the message. But that was it. “Could it be a file on Michael?”

“Whatever it is, I don’t like that Thompson has it.” Bucky furrowed his brow, walking further into the room. “If it is Michael… and that’s a file on him, we have to get it. If it isn’t… maybe he’s trying to use it against someone?”

“Blackmail?”

“Peggy has told us a lot about Thompson, I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“Come on,” Steve placed the letter down, folding his arms, “who could possibly be involved with a British soldier who defected, that Thompson would feel a need to acquire that file? A spy in the SSR?”

“Well, with HYDRA gone, that’s no easy question.”

They finished up what they were doing in England and took the first flight back to New York. When they heard Phillips was out of town, they knew that meant he was at Camp Lehigh. They’d noticed Thompson wasn’t at the office, some agent quickly told them he was in Los Angeles. So, he’d gotten involved with this Zero Matter business too. It seemed to be much more of a problem than Peggy was letting on then, if two Chiefs had to be there at the same time, as well as one of the most successful SSR agents.

When they got to Camp Lehigh, Steve felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. Last time he was here, he was small and frail, on his last chance to become who he wanted to be. And look at him now, so different, so unrecognisable to that little guy. This was the place that had trained him, the place that had moulded him into a soldier. It almost felt good to see it once again, with so many soldiers running laps and training. Peacetime meant creating soldiers for the future.

Steve and Bucky walked into Phillips’s office like they had all the rights in the world. Well, maybe they had a few privileges, considering they were Phillips’s top pick for any high-level stealth and assassination mission. Steve couldn’t help but wonder if he knew about Bucky and his serum. He must have questioned why Bucky had always kept up with him, had always been on par. And now they did missions where getting out was as easy as getting in? Phillips must have suspected something, who wouldn’t?

“We believe Leviathan has run out of leads, Sir,” Steve said as he and Bucky came to a stop at Phillips’s desk.

“You believe they will fail?”

“I believe it is lost to even the greatest of archaeologist.”

Bucky nodded in agreement. “Not to mention the last agent we killed said we keep hunting them down before they can try.”

“So,” Phillips stood, “they’ll be pooling their resources away from that.” They both nodded, believing it to be true. “Then, why else are you here? Rogers?”

“Chief Thompson has acquired a file on a British soldier who defected in the war, we believe this could be about Michael.”

A shocked expression crossed Phillips’s face for a millisecond. “You mean to say he stole it? Why?”

“I have no idea, Sir.” Steve glanced to Bucky. “We were informed by our contact in the British Intelligence service, it’s highly classified. May we go to Los Angeles to follow up our suspicions?”

“You may. And tell me Thompson’s motivations as soon as you know.” Phillips sat, brushing his hand over his desk. “I want to know why he was digging into this.”

“Yes, Sir.”

\--

Once they got to Los Angeles, they were on their own. The last thing they wanted to do was disturb Peggy with whatever she was dealing with. Zero Matter was a serious issue, and it wouldn’t have felt right to interfere. Anyhow, they were good spies and used their own training to pinpoint the likely hotels Thompson had taken residence in. It only took three false starts before they found the one, simply using Thompson’s own name, because even though he was a Chief, he hadn’t used an alias.

They almost regretted not tailing the guy in the first place, it would have been easier if they knew exactly when he’d taken this file. By the time Monty told them, it had probably been a day or two. Which was annoying but had been easily fixed. They were here now.

They began climbing the stairs, careful not to be suspicious. It was more than likely a staff member could call them out if they didn’t look confident, didn’t look like they knew exactly where they were going. It was possible Thompson wasn’t in the building, but at least then they could break into his room and wait for him. Or, at the very least, take the file.

“You really think Thompson has a file on Michael?” Bucky asked. There _was_ doubt, but better to try.

“Yes.” Steve watched as a man ran up the stairs, overtaking them quickly. His eyes tracked the movement and noticed something incredibly _wrong_. Within his grey suit… he was packing a gun. He nudged Bucky and quickened his steps. “That guy had a gun.”

Bucky nodded, increasing his pace. “From the sound of it, I think he’s on Thompson’s floor.”

Steve used the rail to propel himself up faster. “Let’s follow.”

Once they got to the second floor, they saw the guy standing outside Thompson’s door. Steve gestured to Bucky, they had to be slow and quiet. They moved carefully as the door opened and the man took out his gun. Before Steve could think, he was running towards the man, but he was too late. The gun fired, barely audible with the silencer. Steve had no time to feel the horror of what had occurred before he tackled the guy, pinning him to the ground, sinking his knee into his back.

“Steve! It’s bad!” Bucky called from inside the room. He emerged, lips twisted in fear.

“Call an ambulance!”

“You got this?”

“Yes! Go!”

Bucky ran off, and Steve knew he had to deal with the man as quickly as possible to get to Thompson. He couldn’t let him bleed out. He quickly figured that the man was here because of the file, otherwise, why would Thompson have such a target on his back? Assassinating people in hotel rooms wasn’t the easiest or cleanest way to do it. But Thompson would have the file on his person, especially since he was preparing to leave. It was the perfect opportunity to take it back.

Steve kept him pinned. “Are you here for the file, huh? Who sent you?”

“I sent myself,” the man seethed.

“Like I’d believe that.”

He struggled against Steve’s grip, but a normal man would never match up to a super soldier. “Fuck you.”

Steve knew enough about being a spy that someone could easily fake an accent, but this man’s accent was so quintessentially British. On par with Peggy’s and Monty’s. There was no hint to a localised accent either, it was pure southern British, just like Peggy’s…

“Who are you?”

“I wouldn’t tell you that.”

Steve got a good hold on him, applying more pressure with his knee. Enough to cause damage to the man’s back. He took one of his arms and began bending it backwards. “I can be persuasive.”

“You’ll always be a righteous man.”

“Mm, not often people know who I am.”

“Strength says it all.”

Steve let go of the man’s arm and dug into his pocket, bringing out a needle. He injected into the man’s neck and held him still as he tried to struggle. Soon, the man went limp and Steve dragged him into Thompson’s room. He dug around Thompson’s bag, finding both the file _and_ handcuffs. Which would come in handy. He quickly restrained the guy’s hands.

Having nothing to press against Thompson’s wound, Steve ripped the man’s shirt and used the spare fabric to help stop the bleeding. There was a lot of blood, but Thompson had a far better chance with Steve and Bucky here, than if he was left for dead.

“Thompson, you with me?”

Thompson made a small noise. Still somewhat conscious it seemed.

“Come on, we need you here. We can’t lose another Chief so soon.”

He did his best to help patch up the wound, digging through Thompson’s bag and finding some old bandages. They’d do for now, at least until the ambulance came, with people who had far more experience than Steve had ever gotten in all his training. Perhaps that needed to be brought up.

Bucky came running back in, took one look at the man, and dived down to help Steve. They could deal with the man later. For now, Thompson was their top priority.

“Will he make it?” Bucky asked, a little frazzled, as he pressed his fingers against Thompson’s neck.

“I can’t say for sure…”

“Doesn’t look good.”

“No, it does not.”

Taking this to anything other than the SSR would be dodgy. Steve and Bucky knew it was best to keep this an internal affair. So, when the ambulance sirens whirred in the distance, Bucky left to guide the paramedics up. Meanwhile, Steve hid with the man in the bathroom, keeping the file close by just in case.

Bucky went with Thompson to the hospital. They had to ensure he was only going to be assassinated once that day. Just in case this wasn’t about the file and was instead something to do with his activities as a Chief.

When everyone was gone, Steve rested the man beside the bed. He made a quick call to the SSR office and sat opposite the man. Legs crossed, on the less than comfy carpet. He’d buttoned up the man’s jacket to hide the missing half and waited for him to stir. Sitting with the file in his lap.

He watched carefully, ready to pounce if the man had some sort of plan to escape. He had no doubt the guy could try to wheedle his way out of handcuffs. But, fortunately, when he did wake, he was groggy and confused. He tugged at his hands, coming to a slow realisation that he was restrained.

“Name,” Steve said, stern.

The man glared at Steve. “No.”

“I think you look like a man who would be greatly affected by what’s in this file.” Steve nodded towards it. “So…” He flicked it open. “War crimes… Dangerous stuff.”

“Half the file is redacted anyway.”

“Sure it is. But a massacre took place, no survivors, apart from M. Carter.” His eyes darted up. “Didn’t know that before. Till you turned up, this file was our only lead. Apart from the fact we know this guy as Michael.” Steve smiled. “Tell me, is there a relation between you and Margaret Carter?”

The man bared his teeth, spitting at Steve.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He snapped the file shut. “So… Michael Carter, what happened to you?”

“Same thing that happened to us all, the war.”

“Most of us stayed on the right side though.”

“HYDRA was the right side.”

“How did they get to you?” Steve raised an eyebrow, curious to what Michael would say. They only had one side of the story, after all. “Good man like you, with a good sister, trying to get her to be a field agent, to follow her sense of adventure… Good men like you don’t just turn.”

“HYDRA didn’t _get_ to me.” Michael pursed his lips. “They were the better choice.”

“Hm, you see, that doesn’t line up with the image I have of you.”

“We all changed. I bet you changed.”

“Perhaps.” Steve leant forward. “Did they get to your mind?”

“No…” His brow crinkled, as if he was trying to remember such an easy question. His mind was not his own, his morals had been tampered with. His no was really a yes. “I switched sides, to whoever needed me at the time.”

Which confirmed that they had a rogue brainwashed ex-HYDRA agent on their hands. It was complicated enough as it was.

“Sounds dangerous.”

“It wasn’t a picnic, that’s a certainty.”

Steve tapped his finger against the file. “You love Peggy, right?”

“She’s one of the last good things in this world.”

“Then, you’ll stop whatever you’re doing and tell her you’re alive.”

Michael frowned, yet his eyes were hard, angry. “If I do that, they’ll come for me.”

“HYDRA is gone, you’re the last loose thread.”

“All of them?”

“From Schmidt and Zola to the lowest ranking officer. You’re the only one who still believes in them.” He put the file aside. “I can’t protect you from prison, but I can make sure I never get a kill order _if_ you tell me what happened.”

“HYDRA took me in, showed me the way. They faked my death.”

Steve sighed. He looked at Michael and saw a shadow of who he was supposed to be. Brainwashed but still had the instinct to protect his sister. It easily could have been anyone captured by HYDRA, it just so happened to be Peggy’s brother.

“You can break free of whatever they did to you. We’ll find a way.”

“I wasn’t brainwashed!”

“You won’t be at fault if you were.”

“I wasn’t.”

Michael’s mind was messed up, he had no idea what happened to him. Steve could only hope there was a way. “For the war crimes you have committed, you’ll get a nice cell down at the Rat. If you _listen_ to me and believe what was done to you, we can give you a life.”

“I’d rather die than go back to a life.”

“Sounds bleak.” There was a knock at the door and Steve smiled, getting up and swinging it open. Sousa stepped into the room, along with a swarm of agents. “Thank you for the information, you’ve been very helpful.”

As Steve collected up the file and Michael’s gun, Sousa eyed him carefully. “Do you know who he is?”

Steve watched as the agents picked Michael off the floor and checked his handcuffs. Huh, what did they think Steve was, an amateur? “He’s Peggy’s brother.” Michael clenched his jaw, glaring at Steve. “And currently, he’s the last active HYDRA agent in existence.”

Sousa widened his eyes. “ _He’s_ Michael?”

“Yeah…” Steve sighed. “How are we going to tell her?”

“With caution.”

\--

“Hey, Pegs,” Steve said, approaching her carefully. She was still staying at Howard’s mansion for the time being, until she could make a decision on whether she wanted to stay or not. It was only for her and Angie to decide.

“How did you even get in here?” Peggy asked, she was sitting at a dining table. One of the many, Steve presumed. She was drinking tea… Steve had a feeling she was going to need something stronger after this.

“I have my ways.” He smiled briefly, sitting down. “Peggy… I have something to tell you.”

She furrowed her brow, a look of worry. After everything she and her team had gone through, this was the last thing she needed. “What is it?”

“In the war… there was a British soldier who became brainwashed by HYDRA.”

“Okay…?”

“We knew about him last year… Even knew his name… But we came into contact with him when he shot Thompson, a few hours ago.”

Peggy’s eyes widened, she sat upright, likely ready to bolt to the hospital. “Thompson was _shot_?!”

“Yes… Bucky and I caught the man who did it, the brainwashed soldier.”

“Why are you speaking as if I’ll be spooked…? You’re being awfully cryptic…”

Steve closed his eyes. Well, better to rip the plaster off quick. “We knew him as Michael, until today, until we saw the file… Peggy, he’s your brother.”

Her face fell from worry to downright _confusion_ and fear. Her mouth hung open and she kept blinking, as if to process the entire thing. “No… He’s dead. Michael’s dead. He wouldn’t… not HYDRA. How…? Steve, how?”

“They faked his death… He was brainwashed into their thinking but didn’t agree with their ways. He committed many war crimes. Right now, he’s not the brother you knew… But we’ll find a way.”

“ _Oh_. The file Thompson had…”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “You knew about that?”

“I thought it was fabricated. By Masters. I thought… June 1944, that massacre, that was real?”

“Yes. One of the HYDRA officers witnessed it. Michael killed prisoners and HYDRA soldiers with only a machine gun.”

Peggy’s eyes fell closed. “Oh… Michael…” She curled her hand around her teacup. “Where is he?”

“At the SSR office. Howard’s waiting outside for us, if you want to go now.”

She nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I want to go now.”

Tea abandoned, Steve, Peggy and Howard made their way to the SSR. Howard was only there to see if he could shed any light over how brainwashing worked, and how they could get Michael back from it. After all, Howard had his own experience, as well as researching the topic. Peggy explained that Michael’s body was never brought home, they were merely told he was dead. Now, she proclaimed it all made sense. But Steve could see her staring out the window, lost and confused. It may have made sense, but it didn’t make it any easier.

When they got to the office and were let in, Sousa was waiting, eyes downcast. As if he didn’t know how to broach this topic. It wasn’t easy. Steve knew it could have easily been Bucky, in the interrogation room, brainwashed and not himself. It wasn’t as if Michael had forgotten who he was, he knew that well enough, it was his loyalties that had changed. His personality.

How could they change that? Brainwash him back? Steve wasn’t sure that was how it worked.

They piled into the observation room. As Steve looked to Michael, he saw nothing but a broken man, wondering how he got there. His head was bowed, bangs falling in his eyes. His hands rested peacefully on the table. He was… tired maybe. His vulnerability could have been a trick. If you were a good enough actor, you could fake anything. Though, Steve saw truth in Michael’s posture.

“I’m going to talk to him,” Peggy blurted.

“No one will stop you,” Sousa said, moving to sit down.

Peggy burst out of the room and calmly entered the other. Steve watched on, his arms folded. In there, was the last of HYDRA… Well, he kinda was. There were only two people that never said ‘Hail HYDRA’ back to Steve and Bucky, both had shown great remorse. It was also completely classified to everyone but Steve, Bucky and Phillips that anyone had survived at all. Michael was the last thread, sure, but he wasn’t all that remained of HYDRA.

“Michael…” Peggy said, sitting opposite him. “You’re alive.”

Michael’s head whipped up. His eyebrows were soft and almost regretful. “Peg… God… I…”

“Tell me it wasn’t you. Tell me everything in that file wasn’t…” She shook herself, “you.”

“When I found out Jack Thompson was using _my_ file, _my_ past against you… It’s true, all of it. The British never let me go, they tried to send team after team after me. I had weapons they didn’t.” He bowed his head. “Peg… I shot Thompson to stop him from hurting you.”

“He’s admitted a lot for a guy that would hardly talk,” Sousa murmured.

“I was a stranger. Peggy’s his sister. It’s different.”

Sousa hummed.

“You’re HYDRA…”

“Yes. I was wrong to think the British were fighting for the right reasons. Schmidt had plans for this world, but he wasn’t doing it right. You don’t win the world by fighting a war, you win it by persuading people it’s for the best.”

“By rising in the shadows…” Steve whispered. Finding Michael’s thinking to be on the same plane as Kleiber’s and Zola’s.

Sousa turned to him. “What?”

“Just something a HYDRA officer said.” That plan seemed to be widespread through HYDRA, wanting to rise in the shadows. It made Steve realise things could have been much worse.

“Michael, you never thought like that before.”

“People like you never understand.” He clenched his jaw. “We need order, not freedom.”

“You never believed that… Don’t you remember, when you were little?” Peggy’s voice was desperate, she was scared. “All our adventures? That’s freedom. Order means giving that up.”

Something gave pause in Michael’s expression. “I was a child. What did I know?”

“And what about when you wanted me to join the SOE? You persuaded me on my sense of adventure.”

“Maybe I was foolish then too.”

“This isn’t you…”

“How would you know? You were too busy trying to get married to a waste of space when I last saw you!”

Steve knew little about Peggy’s engagement before she became an agent. But he did know that she called it all off after Michael’s ‘death’. To honour his wishes, to honour what he believed her to be. And now? Now he wasn’t the guy Peggy would so often talk about when prompted. From all the stories of Michael, Steve knew one thing, he was tenacious. If there was a way to get his morals and personality back, that aspect of him would come in handy.

“That’s not fair, Michael! I didn’t know myself then, not truly. If anything, your fake death spurred me on… But you’re alive, and you need to listen to me.” She leant forward. “HYDRA faked your death to use you as their test subject. You were brainwashed and used, but you went rogue before they could place you back in the army. Because of that, you became notorious, a story within HYDRA. So, tell me, _brother_ , where do your morals lie now?”

“Nowhere. I am my own man on my own side.”

“Sounds awfully selfish.”

“Maybe I want to be selfish.”

“ _Snap_ out of it.”

Michael’s eyes widened a fraction. “I don’t think I can.”

“He’s slipping,” Howard said. He’d clearly tacked onto what Steve had. Peggy was the key.

“Peggy can bring him back to himself.”

“Yeah… He isn’t lost.”

Sousa shook his head. “I wouldn’t be so sure. It’s Peggy’s tone rather than her words.”

Steve watched closely. “Perhaps. Or maybe, nothing lasts forever. Not even brainwashing.”

Howard stepped closer. “Or, HYDRA wasn’t thorough enough before Michael escaped.”

Peggy sat back in her seat. “What happened…? You were never like this. Never _weak_.”

“I’m not weak!”

“Clearly you are! You gave in to HYDRA. Took the easy way out.”

“Nothing about escaping was _easy_! They would have chained me to their commands, so I _did_ go rogue, I did escape. For my own safety. Those methods were unjust, that’s why I didn’t agree.” Michael closed his eyes. “But… order is needed. I still believe in _that_.”

“How about… a new order. My friends and I have a plan for an organisation that will protect people from dangerous artifacts but will also ensure freedom is maintained. No one can control the world, but we can make it a better place, without order. Normal people are civilians, not soldiers to be controlled, they should have the freedom to _live_.”

Michael tilted his head, like he was considering it. Huh, maybe you could brainwash someone back. “That is not the order the world needs.”

“What does it need, tell me.”

“It needs… someone to lead the way. It needs security, a watchful eye. It needs those who threaten the world to die.”

“That’s twisted and you know it.” Peggy shook her head, pointing to Michael. “Look, I can see it in your eyes. You’re unsure. You don’t understand, but something inside is telling you I’m right.”

“I… know I used to feel differently.” His eyes grew distant, staring at the wall. “I know HYDRA showed me the light… Or… I thought they did.”

“HYDRA made you turn on your own beliefs.”

“You… I…” Michael furrowed his brow so much, it must have been affecting his sight. “I don’t think I believe that… not yet. But, I feel, I know I could… HYDRA, they were against everyone. Maybe they… I. Fuck.”

“You’re confused. I understand that.”

“I don’t…” Michael tapped his temple. “It’s conflicting… Part of me agrees with you wholeheartedly, the other wants nothing more than chaos disguised as order.”

“It was never about order…?”

Michael scoffed. “That’s how they referred to it. But we all knew… Chaos could bring about our goals. Without Schmidt, it could have been achieved.” He stared blankly at Peggy. “But that Agent Rogers and his friend made sure that could never happen.”

“It’s for the best.”

“Maybe it is… Nonetheless, you cannot kill an idea.”

Peggy minutely flinched at that. It was so small, so brief that Steve almost missed it. Reinhardt’s message stuck with them all. Two heads replacing one was bad enough but being unable to kill an idea was a real threat. After all, people had been inspired, used, and twisted ideas and ideals before. If someone dug up HYDRA in the future, their ideas could inspire them to commit heinous crimes.

“You can, if you let it stay buried,” Peggy retorted, her voice sharper than before.

Michael sat back. “Peggy, you can’t save me.”

“I can bloody well try.” She stood, her hand placed flat against the table. “We’ll decide what to do with you. But once you’re ready to let go of your twisted HYDRA ideals, we’ll talk.”

She breezed out of the room as if it was easy to leave her brother in there. Steve knew it wasn’t. She walked into the observation room with tears in her eyes. Sousa frowned, looking at her with sympathy. Howard approached her, pulling her into a brief hug. Steve could feel a new kind of emotion rolling off her, something unseen.

“Peggy… I’m so sorry,” Howard whispered.

“He’s alive at least… There’s a chance.”

Howard backed away and nodded. “Science says there’s always a chance. Even if it’s near impossible, there’s a _chance_.”

Steve gave her a soft smile. “You made progress in there. He’ll come around eventually.”

“How many years will he rot in prison before that happens?” she bit back.

“Then… we won’t put him in a prison,” Sousa said, standing. The look of sympathy was still in his eyes, but he didn’t approach Peggy to comfort her. Steve wondered what had happened between them.

“Where will he go then?”

Howard tilted his head back. “Oh… No, don’t be stupid. We can put him in a prison… The Rat has some cells that are more like one-room apartments, for the people we can’t send to a mental hospital.” He glanced to Michael. “It could work and could make him less bitter towards us if we try it.”

Peggy folded her arms. “I think you’re right, Howard. He needs somewhere peaceful, but not somewhere he can escape.” She locked eyes with Sousa. “Do it, but not until tomorrow. Not until I talk with Thompson and Phillips.”

Sousa nodded, saying nothing before leaving the room.

Steve, with a furrowed brow, gestured to the door. “What did you do to him?”

“He tried to kiss me…”

“Guess you couldn’t say you were taken, huh?” Howard said, understanding clear on his face.

“No.” Peggy cast her eyes to the ground. “It was difficult. He likes me, a lot, even broke off his engagement.” She scrunched up her face. “An engagement he only got into because he was trying to get over me.”

“Yikes.” Howard clasped his hands together, sorrowfully. “This just keeps getting better.”

Peggy laughed humourlessly. “It’s been one bloody hell of a week.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, understanding that sentiment well. “How did the case go?”

“Don’t get me started, Steve. This _month_ has lasted a year.”

Howard nodded along, a small smile on his face. “Jarvis ran over a two-time Oscar nominated actress turned villain with my car.”

Steve turned to him, mouth slightly agape. “I… What?”

“Yeah, pal.”


	6. SHIELD

“How’s Michael?” Bucky asked as Peggy settled herself in their armchair. She _always_ stole it. Steve was beginning to think she enjoyed stealing their shit.

Peggy pursed her lips. “He’s settling down, if you’ll believe it.”

“Settling down? Has he found someone? How can he settle so fast? It’s been four months since his recovery ended, and he’s _settled_?” Bucky rambled, finishing off his sentences of settling by sipping at his peppermint tea. (Steve blamed Monty for that. Bucky was always stinking out the kitchen with peppermint).

“Yeah…” Peggy stared at Bucky for a moment before shaking herself off. “He started dating this woman about a month ago. They… It’s nothing major but he said to me the other day that he… thinks he could have a life. He sees a future for himself.”

“Damn,” Steve whispered. “At least he knows what he wants.”

“There’s that. I just… worry, you know? What if he starts believing in all that HYDRA stuff again?”

“He won’t.” Bucky flashed his supportive smile. “He was approved by five different therapists and then approved by you, and all of us. If he was a danger to himself or anyone, we’d know, immediately.”

“I guess that’s a little reassuring.”

“And how’s Los Angeles?”

“It’s great… But being a spy, I’m always travelling.” She grinned. “I’m just glad Angie is getting parts and becoming a real star.”

“I guess we’ve gotta be glad Howard’s new technology showcased how good Angie is.”

Peggy waved dismissively. “She would have made it anyway. Although, his revolutionary technology did make Angie look fantastic. Better than any other movie I’ve seen.”

Bucky hummed. “Shame that he’ll be refocusing his energy on SHIELD and Stark Industries.”

“I’m fairly sure he’ll still make movies.” She shrugged. “He might sell it. You know Howard.”

Steve chuckled softly. “Yeah, he’s an unpredictable genius.”

“Next he’ll be revolutionising the intelligence industry– Oh wait,” Bucky joked, laughing into his tea.

“Funny, Barnes.” Peggy rolled her eyes. “Although… you’re not wrong.” She leant forward, smiling. “Now we’re on that topic, however, do you want to know something?”

“What?”

“SHIELD has been approved.”

Steve sat up straight, grinning. “Really? And has Phillips agreed with your plan?”

“He thinks the SSR becoming the science division of SHIELD is the best idea Howard and I have ever had.”

Bucky gleamed. “That’s great, Pegs.”

“I was also thinking about you two, and where you fit in.”

“Where we fit in? We’ll be agents, of course.”

Peggy licked her lips, as if gearing up to tell them something. “Obviously. But your ideas have helped shaped the basis of SHIELD as much as any of ours have.” Her eyes lit up. “You deserve to be founders too, especially since you’ll be in charge of your anti-corruption deal.”

“I didn’t think…” Steve began to say, cocking his head, “that we would be the leaders of that division.”

“Of course you will. Why wouldn’t you be?”

“Well– it’s–” Steve looked to Bucky. “Explain to her.”

Bucky set his tea down. “We’ve been little more than assassins for the last two years… We just thought, maybe you’d continue what Phillips wants us to be.”

“Oh no.” Peggy shook her head, a smirk appearing on her lips. “You’ll be that and more. If HYDRA believed they could grow in the shadows, it’s more than likely Leviathan, or anything else could imbed themselves in our ranks. You’ll be needed. I want you to have the authority, Howard, Phillips and I will have.”

“Founders,” Steve said, testing the word on his tongue. “I mean, I’m not saying I _couldn’t_ get used that.”

Peggy took a swig of her tea, her eyes calculating. “When SHIELD is made, I was thinking of how to better secure artifacts. Maybe I’ll make a list.”

Bucky nodded slowly. “First thing on there should be the Kree corpse.”

Peggy’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“The blue corpse,” Steve clarified. “It’s an alien species, Kree. They created Inhumans by experimenting on humans. Anyone who comes from that line are transformed through the use of the Obelisk.”

She pursed her lips. “So… you two may prove more useful than I thought.”

“HYDRA revealed a lot when they thought they were talking to one of their own.” Bucky smiled. “It’s a tactic we’ve long taken advantage of.”

“And how you knew about Michael in the first place.”

“Exactly. HYDRA used to worship an Inhuman that was sent to another planet. Life out there, exists.”

“The Kree created them for one reason or another, we should at least have a file on Inhumans, if nothing else,” Steve said.

Peggy shook her head, disbelief settling upon her features. “Kree and Inhumans… Boy, do you two have a lot of information on your hands.”

“We could have a list written up for you by tomorrow. We can include all we know.”

Bucky swiped up the notebook that sat on the coffee table. “Better get started, there’s a lot to get through.”

“I can hardly believe it’s happening… never mind the kinds of things that exist in our world. In our universe.” Peggy tilted her head. “How did you know about the corpse?”

“I saw it,” Bucky said as he began listing what little info they had on the Kree. “You tried to be clever about it. You didn’t see me.”

“I suppose it is in your blood to be stealthy.”

A slow grin spread across his face. “It’s a skill, to live in the shadows, to know your way around without alerting a single soul.”

Steve looked to Bucky with an easy smile. “I’ll never be as good as you.”

“It’s because of your shoulders,” Peggy chimed. “You’re like the tank of the human race.”

“Now, come on, there’s guys bigger than me.”

Bucky furrowed his brow slightly. “You’re the fighter jet then.”

“Oh, god,” Peggy exclaimed, a whine in her voice, “don’t associate Steve with planes.”

“Oh, yeah, fair point.”

“It was _one_ time.” Steve could hardly believe they still held it against him.

Peggy rolled her eyes. “One time too bloody many.”

“It’s been three years since it happened, let it go.”

“Three years, a month and two days since Steve’s last incident,” Bucky cut in, smugly. “It’s been two months since he was last stupid, however.”

“Look, what happened in Sydney was not my fault. It was circumstances.”

“Your plan was dumb.”

Steve sighed, muttering under his breath about Bucky being the one who was dumb. He just… It was better to go through the window. “I tried.”

“Yeah, you tried alright.” Bucky listed the Darkhold as the next item of interest, marking it down as ‘lost’.

“Okay, boys, maybe calm down about who’s stupid and who’s the smart one.” Peggy smirked, curling her feet up onto the armchair. Okay, if she was making herself comfortable, Steve would never be able to escape. “Obviously, Bucky’s the smart one.”

“Just because my plans are controversial, doesn’t mean they don’t _work_.”

“You’re the only super soldier here, unfortunately, your plans don’t work for all of us.”

Steve pressed his lips into a thin line while Bucky’s lips twitched upwards slightly. They still hadn’t told anyone, Bucky deemed it too dangerous still. It was their own element of surprise. “Maybe. But I do take the human biology into account.”

“Huh… Did you hear that, Bucky? Steve actually realises the rest of us are human.”

Bucky glanced up from the notepad. “Wish he’d realise he’s human too.”

“I _do_.”

“Coulda fooled me, doll.”

Steve folded his arms, sinking back into the couch. “To be frank, I can survive crashing into the ocean from a considerable height. _So_ , I know fine well I’m human, I just know my limits better than most.”

“You’ve always known your limits,” Bucky said, distantly. “But you always pushed yourself over them anyway.”

Their phone began ringing, and when Bucky made no move to get it (still concentrating on the notebook), Steve launched off the couch and rounded it to pick up the phone. There was silence until…

“Rogers,” Phillips said, stern. “I need you, Barnes and Carter to come to Camp Lehigh. I have some ideas about a temporary base we can build, in time for SHIELD’s creation.”

Steve glanced to Peggy, who was smiling slightly. She knew he knew that Phillips knew she was with them. Which meant Phillips was aware they’d be founding the organisation too. “We’ll be there as soon as, Sir.”

“Where are we going?” Bucky asked, twisting around the couch.

“To the place SHIELD will start.”

\--

Steve looked over the map in front of him. He was perhaps a little too excited for this. They’d spent the last ten months or so preparing to merge the SSR with SHIELD. Phillips had constructed a secret facility on Camp Lehigh, just like he’d planned. For now, it was their headquarters for all things SHIELD. But what Steve was really excited for was getting to choose.

Peggy was overseeing the construction of her base, right now. Howard had both the Stark Industries office _and_ was securing the rights to build the Sandbox. So, that left Steve and Bucky to pick out a location, and name, for their base of operations.

Bucky turned and leant back against the table. “How about Cube?”

Steve traced a line from one state to another… Where would be the best place for anti-corruption? “Why Cube?”

“No particular reason. I saw it on the list of names Howard wanted to call the Sandbox and just… liked it, you know? Like a gut instinct.”

“Yeah, like it just feels _right_.” Steve tapped upon Philadelphia. “See?”

Bucky looked back towards the map. “Why there?”

“It’s almost a halfway point between our future headquarters in New York and Peggy’s base.”

“A point to go between. One base to another.”

“Exactly.”

“Clever thinking, Steve.” Bucky grinned. “So that means we’re going with my name and your location.”

“Yep.”

“I like that.”

Bucky glanced around, but he knew fine well no one was in the room with them. With a smile, he kissed Steve on the cheek. Something small, something celebratory for being able to decide so quickly. It had taken Howard three weeks to come up with a name and location for his. Steve turned and pecked Bucky on the lips, grinning into it. Even though they could be easily caught here, it was natural to want to share the moment with each other.

“I love you,” Steve whispered.

“Love you too.” Bucky caressed Steve’s cheek for a small moment.

There was a rush of footsteps outside the door, so they backed away from each other, busying themselves with other things. It was too dangerous to be so romantic in a base full of agents and spies, but they could hardly live in fear either.

“SHIELD is getting somewhere,” Steve said, his eyes darting about the room to distract himself. Something about the portraits of them hanging on the wall still felt surreal. “Can you believe the government will officially recognise it in two days?”

“Not like the president hasn’t been rooting for this for months now.” Bucky glanced to the clock on the wall. “I mean… It’s what? Barely February, and we’re two of the five founders of an intelligence agency that’s gonna change the world.”

“You won’t be able to change anything if you don’t get a handle on this situation,” Phillips said, appearing out of nowhere with a file. “We’re calling it the Black Monolith.”

“What does it do?” Steve asked, taking the file. It detailed that the Monolith swallowed people up. They never came back out.

“We don’t believe it’s consuming people.”

Bucky looked over Steve’s shoulder, his hands hovering at his sides yet not touching. They couldn’t, not in front of Phillips. “It’s transporting them. Maybe to another planet, like Kleiber said.”

“What? You think this is the portal they used to transport the Inhuman?”

“No. I think this might be one of few, you know?”

Phillips furrowed his brow. “Would someone like to explain what an Inhuman is?”

Bucky sighed. “It’s a modified human that gains their power from the Obelisk, created by the Kree, a species not from this planet.”

Phillips blinked at them before sighing. “You know what, I give up. If you have any other information you’ve been keeping from us, please share with the class.”

Steve glanced to Bucky who had a vague look in his eye. This was not the time to reveal his serum, so Steve offered something else instead. “HYDRA comes from a long line of people believing a powerful Inhuman was destined to rule us. I don’t know if that’s a real threat now that HYDRA’s gone, but who knows what the future will bring.”

“Maybe Reinhardt was right. You cannot kill an idea, especially if it existed beforehand...” He shook his head. “ _How_ old is this myth?”

“Centuries, if not longer.”

“Tell me it’s a myth.”

Bucky grimaced. “Sorry, Sir. We can’t say for sure.”

“At least do one thing for me.”

“What?”

Phillips smiled, a weird gesture considering Steve was so used to him frowning or sighing. “Call me Chester, we’re on the same level now.”

“Yes, Chester,” Steve chimed as Bucky said, “yes, S– Chester…”

Chester laughed at them, heartedly. It was such a weird change. “You know so little about me. I hope we can learn from each other. May I call you Steve and Bucky?”

Steve felt an odd pace to this but welcomed it. Having Phillips – Chester as a close friend would be far more beneficial than having him as a superior. “You can call me Steve.”

Bucky grinned, though his eyebrows were slightly crinkled. He was probably as confused as Steve was. “And you can call me Bucky.”

Chester had a look of warmth in his eyes. “Thank you… Now, Founders of SHIELD. Do you mind recovering this monolith? Before someone else does?”

Steve glanced at the file, almost disbelieving what it could do. “We’ll need a metal box before I get near that thing.”

“I was thinking we can put it in Peggy’s base.”

“Is she seriously calling it Ragtag?” Bucky asked. He’d been complaining about that name for days.

“Yes.” Chester ever so slightly smirked. “And is your name any better than Ragtag or Sandbox?”

Bucky grimaced. “It’s called Cube.”

“ _Precisely_. There’s no good name for a base.”

“At least we’ll all have our own space.”

“That’s the point. All of us have a purpose. Peggy will have her classified base as a leader, I have my training facility, Howard will have his testing ground, and you will have your anti-corruption centre. It’ll work. I believe in SHIELD.”

Steve looked up from the file, casting aside the Monolith for now. “I think we all do.”

“I’d hope so, considering SHIELD is finally going to be with us.”

Bucky took the file from Steve’s hands. “And not a moment too soon.”

\--

It all happened so fast. SHIELD… One moment, they were preparing their bases in Camp Lehigh, having the time of their lives, wondering where life would take them. The next, they had hunted down the Monolith, secured it without anyone getting engulfed and instead of taking it to Ragtag – that hadn’t been constructed yet – Chester suggested taking it to the Guest House. A facility that had been used in the war for ammunitions.

From what they knew, that particular base was getting an upgrade for SHIELD, even though it was officially classified and secret. Steve knew that only the founders would know all, and even then, they could keep information from each other. The world had a lot of secrets, and those secrets could hurt innocents. That was what made SHIELD so important.

Plenty of agents were mulling around the Guest House. Many artifacts were being transported here. Better than to have them at any other facility, considering the security protocols just to get _into_ this building. Though, as soon as the agents on guard saw Steve and Bucky, they apologised for the tight security. Not that it mattered, really, the more secure it was, the better chance they had at keeping the objects safe.

Steve peeked into one of the rooms, watching as boxes were being stored. But he noticed an 0-8-4 and…

“The Kree corpse is here,” Bucky said, leaning on the door frame. Which confirmed this would be a storage facility, for the time being.

“And the Obelisk.”

“Mm. I’m sure the Black Monolith will feel at home.”

“Director Rogers, Director Barnes?” an agent said, drawing them both from a longing stare into the room.

“Yes?” they said at once.

“The Black Monolith has been secured. Is there anything else we can help you with? A tour maybe?”

Steve cast a wistful eye over all the boxes being stacked onto shelves. “Hm… Maybe it’s best we know all the artifacts that are here?”

“You couldn’t possibly remember them all, Sir. Would you like a list?”

He shook his head. “No. I have an eidetic memory.”

“And mine is almost as good as his,” Bucky said, grinning at the agent. She was young and ready to work from the looks of it. She had a crisp uniform on, just the same as the men. A little SHIELD insignia sewn onto the collar. Her lanyard had her level and identification clearly upon it. Isabella Tasker, Level 6.

“Well, it’s mostly classified, as you know.” She stepped into the room. “However, I will be a permanent resident here. So, I know more than most.” They followed her as she disappeared among the metal shelves. “We have the blueprints for Vincent Beckers’s splinter bomb here… And, here we have…”

Steve listened carefully to every item and artifact Tasker pointed out. Although she had near insulted his memory, her own was amazing. She rattled off names and descriptions of objects, from plans of weapons to actual dangerous artifacts. There was a lot here already, considering SHIELD had been official for no more than a week and considering how the SSR hadn’t exactly been confiscating dangerous objects for long.

The world was amazing, in a terrifying way.

Once Tasker finished up by describing the Kree corpse, she smiled at them both. “I know I’m no man, but I know my way around a list any day.” She lifted her chin. “It was my day job, before this.”

“You don’t have to be a man to be an agent.” Steve raised his eyebrows. “Don’t forget Director Carter.”

“Never will, Sir. It’s just, she’s swamped by four men in the same position.”

Bucky placed a hand on his hip. “You know, I’m glad you speak so directly. Let me tell you, all of us represent something more. Director Carter is a woman, Director Phillips is older, Director Stark, Rogers and I came from poor stock, amongst other things. We represent that you can be anything you want, and SHIELD, well, it’s going to change how the world works.”

“Trust us, things will change,” Steve said, giving a smile.

Tasker curtly nodded. “That’s reassuring. You both really believe in Director Carter, I can see that.”

“Director Carter is our superior, at least, that’s how we all see it.”

Bucky barked a laugh. “Yeah, she’s the leader. The rest of us are more like heads of a department.”

“If Director Stark and Phillips are science and training respectively, what are you?”

Steve and Bucky glanced towards each other, beaming. “It’s classified,” they said in sync.

\--

It was weird, to be on the outskirts of a city, standing in a cottage, that was a front for the base being constructed below them. A hidden door, located in the living room, blended in with the walls. Designed to conceal the fact that such a base could lie underneath. Anti-corruption needed a safe place to hide. In plain sight? Sure it was. But that was the point. There would be a set of agents pretending to live there, a young couple with jobs in the city.

Steve pressed his palm upon the mantelpiece, a piece of it sinking in, causing the wall beside to push back and slide open. Their technology may have been limited, but they could achieve amazing hidden doors anyhow. Like an old creepy mansion.

Past the door lay a small set of stairs, leading to the building site. Construction was digging out their base. It would have an elevator down, and have plenty of room for records, communications equipment, monitoring equipment and plenty of typewriters for everyone who’d be working there. Steve and Bucky would have their own private office, with state-of-the-art technology. Howard was making sure they’d get the whole shebang.

“This is nothing short of amazing,” Steve said, leaning on the wall and watching the workers dig out a hole.

Bucky smirked. “We’ll have the best base. Sure, Chester’s base is hidden but so obvious to any soldier. And Howard’s is in the middle of nowhere in a desert. And Peggy’s is like a bunker. But ours is a house.”

“That’s… a good point.”

“What?”

Steve crinkled his brow, trying to process what had just popped into his mind. “Well, people go home at the end of the day. We need an exit that doesn’t consist of leaving through the house.”

“Oh… shit. How did we forget about that?” Bucky shook his head, heading down to approach the project manager. “Hey, look, no agent can be seen leaving the base. We need a tunnel out.”

“Decide where the route will go and we’ll do it, Sir.”

Bucky nodded, his lips twitched upwards. “Hear that, Steve? Looks like we’ve gotta do some recon.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t mind a walk.”

They headed outside, to be greeted with lush green grass and trees thick with leaves, others who were blossoming beautifully, the late bloomers. In front of the house was a road, and after was more grass. If they went that way, it could be harder to implement. Harder to cover. Behind the house, however, was a slight hill and plenty of trees. They began walking in that direction, and once they were in the cover of trees, they were truly alone.

Bucky’s hand was extremely close to Steve’s, the only sounds were the crunch of the ground under their boots and bird songs. Bucky curled his fingers around Steve’s, so they were loosely holding hands. They had… never held hands outside their own home before. It had always been too dangerous, to out in the open. Even in Sweden, they kept their relationship indoors, too many SSR agents milling around who could have seen them.

Here… here they had a window of opportunity to be like any other couple. Walking amongst trees, holding hands, romance in the air. Despite the fact they were directors of an intelligence organisation, it felt normal and easy. And so freeing. Steve wanted to latch onto that forever. The idea of pretending they could ever have normalcy. They’d chosen their path, and he didn’t regret it.

“Is here far enough?” Bucky asked as they came up to slant downwards in the land.

Steve glanced over his shoulder, working out how far they’d walked. “I’d say so. We could maybe have a pipe going along here, closed off with a grate?”

“We’ll work it out.”

On the walk back, they didn’t hold hands. Too much of a risk of being seen. Which was a shame, because Steve would have loved to be as obnoxiously romantic with Bucky as other couples were. They had pledged themselves to each other years back now, shame they couldn’t make it official in the eyes of the law. Not that it mattered, it didn’t. They could be whoever they wanted to be.

And who could stop them? They were spies, agents, assassins in a broader sense.

When they got back inside, the project manager approached them with a raised eyebrow. “Did you work it out?”

Bucky pulled the map of their location from under the couch cushions. He pointed to the location they’d scoped out. “Right here.”

The project manager took a pen and circled the map. “We can work with that.”

\--

“Doesn’t it look beautiful?!” Steve exclaimed, spreading his arms out to their very efficient base. Time had flown by, with the construction, with missions, with SHIELD taking over their lives as they worked out what was best, and what could go horribly wrong.

Peggy and Howard were visiting, curious to see how their bases compared to Steve and Bucky’s. They looked impressed, and he could tell each detail they were noting. Peggy’s eyes settled on the SHIELD logo painted on the wall.

“You know… I really do like it better than the SSR insignia,” Peggy said, her eyes glancing over the tables agents were working at. People who were consulting others, holding files. “How does your department work?”

“Every agent will get a routine six-month evaluation. In case they become corrupt at any point. We’ll work hard to ensure corrupt people, spies and whatnot don’t get hired in the first place.” Steve whirled around, facing Bucky. “We were thinking there should be a lie detector test in the academies.”

“As well as funnelling all agents through there to maximise our defence,” Bucky continued, gesturing for them to walk further into the base. “People might slip through the cracks, but that’s why we’re here. To nip it in the bud as soon as we notice it.”

“While that’s brilliant,” Howard said, “we don’t have the kind of technology for a precise lie detector.”

Steve let them into the office, grinning at Howard as if he were stupid. “You’re the genius here.”

“That’s a valid point.” Howard glanced through the glass of the office and closed the blinds. Clearly, he didn’t trust Steve and Bucky’s handpicked agents for whatever he was about to say. “We need something where we can destroy artifacts we can’t contain safely enough, or in which the risk is too high to keep it.”

“Does the world have the capabilities for that yet?” Peggy asked, folding her arms.

“No. But as soon as it does, we should consider it.”

Bucky hummed. “Last thing we need is another incident with some powerful weapon. But how do you decide what gets destroyed and what doesn’t?”

“Sometimes I think it should all be destroyed, but then, what would be the point of storing it in the first place?” Howard shrugged. “I suppose we’ll make that decision when it’s possible.”

“Speaking of what’s possible, Sandbox is fully operational, right?” Steve had wondered about that base a lot lately, and what Howard had been planning.

“Yes.”

“Could you research how to destroy a Monolith?”

Peggy gave out an exasperating sigh. “No one should go near that thing.”

“Logically, chopping it up might be a quick way to stop it from doing anything.”

“ _Howard_ ,” Peggy warned.

“Look,” Bucky said, stepping in between them, “this is one object that I believe should be on our list of ‘the risk is too high to keep it’, yeah? We have plenty of objects in our list that we know are a problem. If there’s a way to destroy something, research should be done.”

Peggy glared at Bucky. “Fine. But only when we have a sure method of how to destroy any kind of object, and when we can experiment on the Monolith safely. Before that, no.”

“Okay, Pegs,” Steve said. “I was actually thinking of how the academies will work. But I think we need Chester for that.”

“His insight into training will be invaluable,” Peggy said. “However, I think we’re forgetting the most pressing issue.”

Howard furrowed his brow. “What?”

“Well, it’s almost 1950, and we still haven’t come up with an efficient method to break your hovercar into the car industry.”

With a laugh, Howard said, “It’s getting somewhere. I was actually thinking of making Stark Motors, to sell the product. Think of how it would improve the world, especially if we find a clean energy source.”

“Do you name everything after yourself?” Bucky asked.

Steve tilted his head. “A clean energy source?”

“There’s research being done that factories are emitting dangerous amounts of pollution into the air,” Howard said, leaning back against a wall. As if to make himself look confident, but it made him look small instead. Sharing his ideas was a highly personal thing. “My dream, my goal, would be to stop that… The Tesseract’s energy was immense. If I could figure a way to work on what I know from that small piece, I could make that energy source.” His eyes flicked to Bucky. “Yes, I do. It’s a brand thing.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, but his mouth was slightly agape. He was the science nerd, the one who thought a good date was going to a science fair. Bucky had always loved sci-fi, but with Howard being such a close friend, any dream of his was just another part of science. So, while Bucky would like to say he only cared about Howard’s reason for the name of the company, he probably listened more to the clean energy explanation.

“How far do you think we are from clean energy?” Peggy asked, clearly paying no attention to how Steve was distracted by Bucky being Bucky, and how Bucky was distracted by science.

“Ten years, maybe fifteen?” Howard sighed. “My hovercar does run more efficiently than any car on the market, the gravitic reversion technology has come in leaps and bounds since 1947 alone, never mind 1943.” He rubbed his hands together. “Which means… I’m planning to have it on the market by the end of 1950.”

“I can’t wait for hover to be normal!” Bucky exclaimed, his face split in a wide grin. “Flying cars… The future, it’s gonna be here.”

Peggy folded her arms. “It’ll be more useful as a SHIELD only vehicle. Rather than for public consumption.”

Bucky threw his arms out. “Oh, come on, Peggy.”

“She might be right, Bucky,” Howard said, though his voice was terser than normal.

“What happened to a better future? You want to make it public… Come on.”

Howard glanced to Peggy, then to the ground. “Sorry, Pegs, on this occasion, Bucky’s right.”

Peggy shook her head. “You’ll be giving away your element of surprise.”

“I’d be making the future I wanna see, though.”

“We’ve gotta think like agents, directors,” she warned.

“And we are. But we live in this world too, and why not make it awesome?” Bucky asked.

Steve grinned, even though it felt weird going against Peggy, he had to agree with his best guy. “I agree. Why not make it awesome?”

Howard smirked. “Yeah, why not?”

Peggy huffed a breath, rolling her eyes. “Okay, _fine_. Why not indeed?”

Steve didn’t care that Peggy shook her head patronisingly as he, Bucky and Howard traded a round of excited quick hugs.

\--

“So, this is SHIELD, huh?” a joyful voice said, one that was attached to a woman, handcuffed and being led by Peggy.

Steve and Bucky had been evaluating Peggy’s agents at her base. Seeing how opinions could change and morph, as well as making sure no one had slipped from grace. In being there, however, Steve had learnt the base had been a small storage unit for the SSR before Peggy expanded it and made it fully functional as her own base of operations. Which meant she had a couple cells that were meant for people she didn’t want out of her sight.

Steve had been staring at the old SSR logo on the wall, it almost gave him nostalgia. Especially since half that wing used to be the Invaders insignia. He did miss the team, immensely, and with SHIELD being their main point of focus, no one really had the time to meet up. Not even for birthdays. Dum Dum and his Howling Commandos had been on a mission for months now, giving them a chance to try out their tech which looked like everyday objects and appliances.

And Steve wasn’t going to begin to think about Jim. He was in a large undercover operation to do with Leviathan and was Steve and Bucky’s main contact when it came to weaponised artifacts. Gabe, on the other hand, had taken a break to go back to university. That was probably good, considering how chaotic SHIELD was. He could come back in – if he wanted to – when everything was sorted and settled.

Dum Dum and Jim were level eight agents. Still, even now, despite the long lengths of time spent apart, they trusted each other. And if Gabe came back, he’d be level eight too.

He turned to Peggy, ignoring the woman. “Who’s this?”

“Underwood.”

“I gotta hand it to you, Pegs,” Underwood said. “You have done a brilliant job here.”

“Do you need me to transport her to the Rat?” Steve ignored the huff Underwood made at that.

“Not yet.”

Peggy tilted her head, gesturing for Steve to follow, so he did. Watching as Peggy undid Underwood’s cuffs and shoved her into a cell. She closed the door swiftly and Steve could see the beginnings of a smile as Underwood turned and smacked her fist against it.

“You might have SHIELD, but it isn’t what will protect you. Not from the inevitable,” Underwood seethed.

“And what’s that?”

“Your death at my hand.” Her eyes pleaded, so teary and _fake_.

Peggy scoffed, clearly having none of it. “You will find salvation when you rot in hell.”

Steve raised his eyebrow. “Underwood?”

Her eyes snapped to Steve. “Yes?”

“What’s your impression of SHIELD?” He was curious, who could blame him? With all he knew of Underwood’s past, it would be insightful to know her opinion.

“I think it has potential. I also think if you’re not careful, you’re an easy target. This base is safe and secret, but don’t rely on that alone.”

Steve nodded. He’d take that onboard. “Thank you.” He walked away from the cell and left the room entirely. Peggy followed. “I wanted to tell you all agents we’ve interviewed so far have only had positive things to say about SHIELD. We believe corruption is not a risk, for now.”

Peggy folded her arms. “But when we become bigger, more spread out, it could be?”

“Yeah. We’re contained, even with how big the SSR was. But SHIELD will grow in the years to come.” Steve sucked a breath through his teeth, cocking his head. “Probably will make mine and Bucky’s job near impossible in the future.”

“Are we heading to the Sandbox next?” Bucky asked, rounding a corner. “Hey, Peggy.”

Peggy raised an eyebrow. “Only scientists are at the Sandbox, save a few guards.”

Steve and Bucky both gave her a blank look. Was she seriously suggesting scientists didn’t need to be checked? Because they did, probably more than most agents. They were in control of substances, objects and weapons many would never see.

“What I meant was, I didn’t know how far your reach would be. Or that you’d be doing all the work.”

Bucky shrugged, folding his arms. “We’re the heads of our department, it’s our job to do the big things like this, while our agents deal with smaller cases.”

“We’re only checking yours, Howard’s, Chester’s and our own base like this. The other bases that exist will have our agents to investigate,” Steve pointed out.

“What about–” Peggy stopped talking as a few agents passed them. Once they were gone, she continued. “What about the Guest House?”

“Only five agents are there, one of which regularly reports to me and Steve. We were kind to her, she trusts us.”

Peggy stroked her chin. “And my agents? They’re all okay?”

“I just finished up interviewing the last one,” Bucky said. He had his chest puffed out a little, like he was proud of that achievement. He and Steve had spent all day going through everyone. “I’m happy to report they’re all clear.”

“That’s a relief.”

“What about your Underwood problem?” Steve asked. “She will be going to the Rat, right?”

“Eventually. She has this weird obsession with me that I want to… smooth out before I send her there.” Peggy paused, her jaw clenching a little. “Once I’m done, she can rot in the Rat for all I care.”

“Sharp words, Pegs.”

“Well, it’s been a tough mission trying to catch her.” She sighed, straightening her jacket. “I’ll be happy to get home to Angie.”

“How is she?” Bucky was quick to ask. “It’s been about a year since we last saw her.”

“She’s alright. The movie industry is being… the movie industry. I had to threaten her producer to _never_ touch her with his disgusting hands ever again.”

“Damn. It’s that bad?”

“Unfortunately. Angie has it handled though.”

Steve smiled slightly. He really looked up to Angie and her tenacity. “I’ve heard they’ve been calling her the ‘Secret Weapon’ of Hollywood.”

Peggy grinned. “Well, she does know how to stick it to her bosses and get them fired for being misogynistic pigs.”

“God, we’ve gotta find time to be in the same place again. Like… May 1946, when Buck and I got back.”

Peggy stared at them, her eyes sparkling. “I’d like that… Angie has been nominated for an award, care to tag along?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Yeah,” Bucky agreed, smiling. “We _have_ to go support her!”


	7. A Decade of Rapid Change

The ‘50s were a different place. The world was picking itself back up, still somewhat recovering from the war. Nevertheless, it was getting there. Regrettably, with the tensions between America and the Soviet Union (a useless fight in Steve’s opinion), SHIELD was always busy. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing – to be busy – but it left little time for an actual life.

Howard had kicked off 1951 with Stark Motors, striking up deals with select car companies to supply his technology to. Stark Motors itself had a few exclusive cars, but Howard made it clear that he wanted other companies to follow suit, to make the technology better. He’d said it was the only way things could progress, with competition.

His cars were expensive but affordable enough to see them on the streets of New York and Washington DC regularly. You never saw them with tires, the cars merely rested on the covering of the hover equipment when parked. Everyone Steve had talked to about them had praised the cars endlessly, explaining that the hover made them feel like a superhero.

Steve always had to stifle a laugh when he heard that.

The cars didn’t hover high off the ground either, it was balanced. Howard ensured cars on the ground wouldn’t be too effected visibility wise. His plans were to have hovercars as the norm by 1960. It was already 1952, and while sales were rising and prices were coming down, Steve didn’t think the cars would be the norm till Howard got his clean energy sorted.

However, the limo industry was booming. Often, Angie was transported in a hoverlimo rather than a hovercar. She was a star, she owned Hollywood with her connections and her status as one of the most celebrated and iconic actresses of their time. Of course, it also meant rumours were constantly spread about why she wasn’t married yet.

People theorised she was secretly dating Howard, since they had been seen together. Some reasoned she was biding her time for the right person. Others believed she was prude underneath all her feistiness.

Very few knew the truth. In fact, since 1946, it had only been Steve, Bucky and Howard who’d known. Not even Chester knew something so personal about them all (they had decided long ago it wasn’t worth the risk). Howard believed Jarvis had an inkling about them all, since he’d been around Peggy and Angie especially, but the guy never said anything.

It was fine, really. No matter what Hollywood or the media said, there wasn’t a person on the planet that would be able to discern that Angie was in a relationship with her ‘good friend’ Pegs. Her good friend was simply an old neighbour who still worked at a telephone company. And Angie’s other good friends, Steve and Bucky were merely her old friends from school.

It was funny, really, how people ate up the fake stories.

Though, with all the amazing, bizarre and crazy things happening in their lives, Angie’s celebrity life would catch up to them eventually.

“Any chance you can get me a husband?” Angie asked Steve.

The five of them had gathered in Angie’s (and Peggy’s) LA house, preparing for a relaxing evening of peach schnapps, out on the decking, by the pool. A tradition of theirs nowadays. After 1949, when Steve and Bucky hadn’t seen Angie at all, they’d sparked up a tradition of meeting up for schnapps every three months, _without fail_. Steve truly didn’t want to know what failing would entail, so he and Bucky _always_ showed up.

Angie’s question had been a little startling, at first. Till he glanced towards Peggy, who was smirking. “There’s a guy in my department that we rescued in the winter of 1944, ‘45. He’s… like us, has a partner too.”

“No way?” Peggy huffed, sipping her schnapps. “There’s no one like that in my base!”

“Now, now, Pegs, don’t be jealous,” Bucky said, tilting his head. “Why do you ask, Angie? Not that Theodore isn’t great and all.”

“I need a cover… It’s getting dicey with the media. I wouldn’t mind adding another two queer people to our group. What’s his partner like?”

“Lee is…” Steve contemplated for a second, swirling his drink. Both of them were lovely and believed in SHIELD wholeheartedly. Being in the anti-corruption department also meant that they had Steve’s unconditional trust. “Lee is kind and funny, really loves what he’s doing. He loves Theo with all his heart, I’ve heard they have risked their lives for each other. They have been together for a long time.”

“As long as you and Peggy, at least,” Bucky continued. “We could bring them out here? And you could see if it would be beneficial for all four of you?” He raised his eyebrow at Peggy. “I’d assume you would marry one of them too.”

Peggy nodded. “Yeah, I need my own cover. It’ll also help with the adoption process.”

“Adopting?!” Howard perked up from his lax position on the lounger, nearly knocking his sunglasses off his head. “You’re gonna adopt?”

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Howard,” Angie joked, grinning. “Yeah, we are. Maybe a girl and a boy, right, English?”

“Right, darling.”

Steve smiled, glad for his friends finding what was next in their lives. They already had their dreams, it was time for a new phase for them. He couldn’t imagine marrying anyone other than Bucky, so, he truly commended Angie and Peggy for being brave like that. “I’ll contact Theo and Lee tomorrow, see what they say.”

“Thanks, Cap!” Angie chimed, to which Steve rolled his eyes. She was the only one that still used that shortening. He wasn’t even a Captain anymore, so it was pointless for her to call him that, but here she was, calling him that.

Bucky got up from his lounger and sat himself on Steve’s lap. He wrapped his arm around Bucky’s waist, holding his schnapps steadily in the other. “Hey, sweet, whatcha doing over here?”

“Oh, you know, I felt lonely.”

“You better kiss your man, Bucky,” Peggy said, teasing. “You haven’t been romantic in… twenty minutes? That’s a long while.”

Bucky laughed, shaking his head at Peggy before he leant down and pecked Steve on the lips. It was simple and romantic at first, till Bucky set his glass down on the table next to him, taking Steve’s face into his hands, deepening the kiss. They didn’t usually kiss like this in front of their friends, but it had been a couple days since they’d had a chance to be like this with each other. Steve let go of his worries and kissed back with ferocity.

Bucky broke away when Howard wolf-whistled at them, grinning as Bucky glared at him. Steve barked a laugh at the way Howard was peeking over his sunglasses – which he must have put back on, _just to be dramatic._ Peggy and Angie giggled, sniggering at them, sloshing their drinks a little.

“Come on, Howard, did you have to ruin our fun?”

“Hey…” He looked offended, till he swung his legs to the side of his lounger. “No. I wanted to distract you.” He took his sunglasses off, twirling them around. “Maybe we should go inside before someone peeks over a hedge.”

Angie squinted at Howard. “We’re safe here.”

“Please? In case? No amount of money will keep any of you safe from our backwards laws.”

Peggy smoothed her hand down Angie’s side. “He has a point, darling.”

Steve sighed. It couldn’t be easy or peaceful, could it? “If it’ll put you at ease, Howard.”

“It will, really.”

They got their drinks and whatever else they had outside and transferred themselves to the living room. It wasn’t like it was a huge inconvenience. There was nothing wrong with Howard wanting to protect them. He was the only one of them who had yet to express himself in the ways he wanted. So, Steve could understand his paranoia. After all, they had all been Howard at some point.

“Howard… why don’t you go to a queer bar, see if you can… find someone,” Steve said as Bucky dragged him over to the large armchair.

Howard scoffed as he collapsed backwards into the softest couch in existence. “The only time I ever went to a queer bar… Or tried to… Someone recognised me before I even got in.” He chugged his drink, picking up the bottle next to him and refilling it. “I bolted before anyone could question me.”

“Shit, that’s rough,” Angie said, leaning into Peggy’s side. “We could always find someone for you… Someone we all trust.”

“As nice as that would be… I’m gonna end up with a woman anyway, I think I want to.” Howard stared into his drink. “I want a kid of my own.” He grinned at them. “Someone has to inherit these good looks.”

Peggy played with the edge of a cushion. “Ugh, you’re so egotistical.”

“Thanks, Peggy.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Okay, can we all stop being so melancholy now?” Bucky asked. “I wanna see if Steve and I can finally beat your drunk asses at Cluedo.”

Peggy beamed. “Finally using the correct name, I see!”

“We’re gonna _win_ ,” Steve said, stern and playful.

“You won’t!” Howard shouted. “You never use the right technique!”

Bucky smirked, draining his schnapps. “Who isn’t drunk though?”

“You’re never drunk, and you still lose.” Angie laughed.

“Fine, I can wait till you’re hammered completely.”

Howard giggled. “Sure, pal.”

“I have a feeling,” Steve began, scraping his tongue over his teeth, as if he was thinking his sentence over, “that it was Director Barnes, with the candlestick, in the lounge… Of course, Director Stark was the victim.”

Bucky scoffed. “I would _not_ use a candlestick. Have some class, Rogers. I’d use the dagger.”

“Just use the gun,” Peggy said. “Much more efficient. Then you could never tell which of us it was.”

Angie scraped her fingers along her neck, her eyes distant. “Not me… I’d use… the pipe. Heavy but effective.”

“She might make a spy, yet!” Bucky chimed, to which a cushion immediately came flying towards him.

Steve laughed as Bucky bounced off his lap to avoid the cushion. “I change my mind. Assuming Director Barnes was the victim… It was Director Carter, with the gun, in the lounge.”

\--

Steve was welling up, he promised himself he wouldn’t, but the look Peggy was giving Angie as she said her vows was magical. No one else in the audience apart from Steve, Bucky and Howard knew what they were truly seeing. Not Peggy’s family, not Angie’s, not Theo’s and not Lee’s. No one but a select few really knew what was going on here.

Sure, it was a marriage of convenience, no doubt about it. Yet, they were standing in a way that meant they could tell their real partner real vows to their face. Peggy may have been holding hands with Theo, but with Lee standing next to her, Angie’s hands held in his, she could look straight at her true love and promise devotion.

They tried to keep the ceremony quiet, but the media was outside the church with fans positively screaming. Even with the thick walls, they could be heard. Although, that could have just been Steve’s enhanced hearing.

Theo’s vows to Lee were just as beautiful. Promising the world, promising to risk everything to keep him safe. Nothing was truer than that. Steve had seen them out in the field _very_ recently (so recently that they all thought the wedding would have to be postponed). Theo had ripped Lee out of the way of gunfire, pushing him towards cover as Steve and Bucky helped to take the assailants out. Leviathan agents who believed they could worm their way into SHIELD.

Now was not the time to think about that however, as Angie began saying her vows. Then Lee. And it was so beautiful, and Steve was crying, Howard hid behind his sunglasses, tears slipping down his cheeks and Bucky was sniffling, grinning wetly. They cared about their friends, they’d all become so close to Theo and Lee over the last few months too. It had been easy.

The ceremony finished up with Theo lightly pecking Peggy on the lips. And Lee kissing the corner of Angie’s mouth, visibly trying to not cringe or grimace. It mustn’t have been easy, kissing the wrong person at your wedding.

Howard provided everyone’s transport, only the best hovercars he could supply. He made sure the happy couples were seated comfortably in the hoverlimo while everyone else got into the classy hovercars. Though, he did make sure he, Steve and Bucky were in a hover Rolls Royce. (One of the few car brands Howard had struck a deal with).

The reception took place in a good ol’ ballroom. They ate, they listened to speeches from the families, they toasted to the happy couples, and the band started playing romantic songs, the newest songs, classic jazz, all of the best. It led to a night of all sorts of dancing. At points, Steve and Bucky watched as Peggy and Angie would platonically dance to the happier, upbeat songs. Separating with frowns when the slower music began playing.

Theo and Lee were much the same but couldn’t be as playful as Peggy and Angie. They could get away with it, since they were women. Theo and Lee were not, and so stuck to clapping each other on the back whenever a fun song came on and swaying next to each other during it.

It was sad, in a way. Even though Howard was adamant he’d make sure they’d get to leave early, to have the wedding night they deserved. Steve and Bucky merely laughed at that, because they would be lucky to get away from the looming threat of their families. Some of which had to be flown out to this very event.

As Steve and Bucky were happily sipping at their drinks, sticking to the side-lines because they couldn’t dance either, Michael appeared out of nowhere next to them. Neither of them jumped, they’d heard him coming, but the way he approached was not the way he walked up to others. Which meant he was still being cautious around them.

“Do you think that could be any of us one day?” he asked, staring at Peggy and Theo, his eyes almost sad. Steve was well aware Michael was in a relationship, for years now, but hadn’t proposed like his peers would have by now.

“What’s stopping you?” Bucky asked.

“No one should be tied to me… I’ve done terrible things.”

“We all have,” Steve reminded him, Michael had been brainwashed but he’d been a soldier first. He would have killed people then too. Most of the people in the room were veterans. All would have killed someone at one point. “I know in the war my team and I did things that made it hard to sleep… We all got out of it alive… Don’t punish yourself for what the enemy did to you.”

Michael seemed to consider this, biting at his bottom lip. “You’re right… I know that.”

“But you still feel guilty anyway.”

“Yeah…”

“Hey…” Bucky moved in front of Michael. “My advice is… remember who you were, before the war. Even if you’re not that guy anymore, you owe it to whoever you were to be happy now. You’ve been through a lot, you got through torture and brainwashing… I almost went through the same thing so… I partly understand.” He smiled slightly at him. “If you want to marry Clara, marry her. Have kids if you want, _live_.”

Michael stared into his drink and nodded, as if he was processing this. “I do want to marry her. I just…” He looked up. “Thank you, Bucky. I’ll try to work on myself a bit. I’ll work it out, right?”

“Give yourself time. I know Clara will be there for you.”

He smiled at Bucky. “Yeah, she will be. Thank you.” He excused himself and went to talk with others.

Steve let out a breath. “I feel so sorry for him.”

“He’s getting there. He’ll learn how to be happy.” Bucky furrowed his brow slightly. “I think we all had to learn that at some point.”

Steve barely opened his mouth to reply before Peggy and Angie ran up to them, in their sleek and puffy white dresses respectively. Peggy grabbed Bucky’s hands while Angie grabbed Steve’s pulling them both onto the dancefloor for an upbeat jazzy song. Steve laughed as Angie pulled him into a dance position, ending up with Angie leading _him_ , which got them a few raised eyebrows and gawking glances. But Steve didn’t care, Angie was happy and that was what mattered. Bucky was leading Peggy however, in an energised dance. They appeared to be in a competition, to the point where Bucky stuck out his tongue when he spun a surprised Peggy.

As the song pattered off, Angie beamed at Steve. “You were both being bums standing on your own over there.”

“We liked watching,” Steve said with a pout.

Angie laughed. “Sure, Cap.” She casually pointed to Dum Dum, who’d been sitting with Monty and Gabe. “You’ve been avoiding them. Both of you have.”

“It’s… been a while.” Steve stared at them, and felt tears prick at his eyes. “Howard’s birthday last year, if you’ll believe.”

“Last year… as in 1951? That was the last time?”

“Yeah…”

Angie placed her hands on Steve’s back and pushed him towards them. As he looked to the side, Peggy was dragging Bucky by the collar. Steve shook his head and approached Peggy, who let Bucky go as soon as she saw him. With an apologetic smile, she left them to it. Which… there wasn’t much to leave them to. Dum Dum, Monty and Gabe were the only Invaders here. Jim was still undercover, working on an exit plan to be out by March 1953. And Jacques said September was a busy month for his stall, too busy to fly out to LA for a weekend.

“Hey,” Steve said as he got close.

Dum Dum gestured to the spare seats at their table. “Fellas, it’s been too damn long.”

Bucky sat, grinning at Dum Dum. “Hell yeah it has.”

Monty leant forward. “How have you guys been? Work must be tough.”

“Work is… something.”

Gabe hummed, circling the rim of his glass with his finger. “I’ve finished my French degree, as well as a music degree and I took a short course on physics.”

Steve barked a laugh. “That’s a lot of education. Will you be coming back to us?”

“Yeah. I figure it might be nice… Your organisation is the best of the best.” Gabe looked to Dum Dum. “Isn’t that how you put it?”

“The best of the best!” Dum Dum called, causing a few people to look at him. He shrugged it off. “Of course it is. Peggy lets me run around with the Howlies.”

“I wish we’d been called that,” Monty whispered, a small smile on his lips. “The Invaders will never be as iconic sounding as The Howling Commandos.”

“You only have Junior to blame.” Dum Dum frowned and raised his glass, glancing up. “I miss you, kid.”

“He will be forever hailed as the best at naming things,” Gabe remarked. “Even if Happy hates it.”

Bucky twisted his mouth. “Happy and Pinky are weird. I evaluated them once and… they remind me of… I don’t know.”

“Like us, when we were them. In that team…” Gabe huffed an amused breath. “I miss us.”

“Me too,” Monty said. “Life is different, and that’s fine but… Still feels weird to be without you.”

“You can say that again.” Steve laughed, shaking his head. “Although, I don’t miss being crammed against each other.”

“Now, that’s a bear faced lie, Cap–”

“Not a Captain anymore.”

“–you always enjoyed being crammed against, Sarge,” Dum Dum finished with a mischievous grin.

Bucky’s eyebrows raised so far up his forehead, Steve was worried for them. He supposed he looked much the same because was… was Dum Dum suggesting that he knew?

Monty made a nervous hand gesture that the team had been used to, once upon a time. “We know… that you love each other. You might not have known it for the majority of the war… but we saw a change after the plane.”

“We talked about what had happened between you both,” Gabe continued. “You were closer in a way we hadn’t seen before. It was Jacques that first noticed.”

“He elbowed me,” Dum Dum recounted fondly, “and pointed towards you both one night, when you were curled up… and Steve was shaking from a nightmare. He said something beautiful in French…”

Gabe smiled as he recited, “Entre deux coeurs qui s’aiment, nul besoin de paroles.”

Two hearts in love need no words.

“We made an agreement there and then to never mention it, to never judge you, and to let you both be,” Monty said, his voice soft.

Steve gave out a breath, his eyes shining. “Thank you… for accepting us.”

“We’re all different, in many different ways.” Gabe smiled. “We were a very accepting team to begin with.”

“Still, thank you,” Bucky said, tears slipping from his eyes. He glanced around. “It’s not an easy topic.”

Dum Dum looked at them with hard eyes. “It should be. I hope we all live to see it become an easier topic. As much as talking about whiskey is easy.”

Monty barked a laugh. “You and your whiskey.”

“Or beer, beer’s pretty easy to talk about.”

Steve chuckled at Dum Dum’s antics as he continued to list things that were easy to talk about. This would always be home, being around friends. The Invaders, Peggy and Angie, Howard. Even Theo and Lee were beginning to join that circle of home.

Speaking (thinking) of the devil, Theo appeared behind Steve’s chair, and Lee behind Bucky’s.

“Hey, so, Steve,” Theo said, “we’re going to implement Operation Get the Couples Out soon.”

Lee scrunched his face up at Dum Dum, Monty and Gabe. “You guys are cool, right?”

“Cool? We can be cool,” Gabe replied.

“They’re good,” Steve said. Now that he knew they’d known about him and Bucky the whole time, he felt even more comfortable with his friends. They were absolutely cool.

“Howard has a plan to get us out of here.” Theo stayed quiet as some people moved past the table. “We need a distraction.”

“Say no more,” Monty said. “We can do that.”

Steve leant forward on the table, regarding everyone with his ‘tactic face’. “Bucky and I were thinking of pushing over the remains of the cake, but we need something else.”

“The band,” Dum Dum said. “If us three jump up on the stage and I take the microphone…”

Gabe’s eyes snapped to the stage. “I’ll get the guitar.”

“I’ll get the drums, I guess,” Monty said with a grin.

“Right.” Lee pushed away from Bucky’s chair. “The signal to begin the Operation is the song ‘I Whistle A Happy Tune’. Okay?”

“Okay. We’ve got you covered!” Gabe exclaimed, downing his drink, laughing.

Theo and Lee grinned at them and left, returning to Peggy and Angie, clearly preparing for their roles in the great escape this would most likely turn out to be.

“Guys… you do all know the song, right?” Steve asked.

Dum Dum frowned. “No…”

Bucky threw his head back, sniggering. “This is just like the old days.”

Monty shook his head. “If it was, there would be far more explosions.”

The song changed, slowly, the first notes of ‘I Whistle A Happy Tune’ were played.

Steve got up from his seat. “Operation Get the Couples Out is go.”

The Invaders smiled up at him. Just like the old days.

\--

Years were beginning to slip through Steve’s fingers like sand. 1953 had a programme recorded, about Captain America. Soldiers had been interviewed about how he saved their lives. Even Peggy was interviewed, though she kept the questions concise and simple. It was weird, to have his persona questioned in such a way. They didn’t talk about Captain Rogers, the people only cared about the symbol. Officially, Captain America was never a super soldier, just a persona to sell war bonds. So, what was said didn’t really reflect on him. Even though it was still him, it also wasn’t.

Part of the reason why he was disconnected from the character was Chester’s order for Steve to stop using his shield and CA uniform after the plane. Chester decided after his almost sacrifice, that it was best to let Steve be his own person rather than a character. HYDRA was done with – for the most part – in that moment. And Chester had admitted years later that he knew he wanted Steve and Bucky to be agents, and Captain America could hardly be a spy.

So, the interview talked about Captain America as if he was missing. Even though it was common knowledge that he wasn’t. Peggy was amazing during her segment, but when the interviewer asked about the plane, she’d gotten a little teary eyed. Steve often forgot how much he’d hurt Peggy when he dove the plane into the ocean, how much he hurt everyone.

1954 had the Stark Expo turning back up like an old friend. With new technology everywhere you looked. Bucky dragged Steve along, excited to see the improved technology of what they saw in 1943, as well as new things that didn’t quite work yet but were getting there. Hell, once, the hovercar was a near failure, now? Hovercars were everywhere. Any technology seen at the Expo had the potential to change the world within ten years. And wasn’t that a thought?

Howard did a few presentations on bits of technology he was working on, but kept it lowkey, letting the other inventors, engineers and scientists take the wheel.

Bucky was like a kid in a candy store. And the darkness of the agent he’d made himself to be was gone in these moments. He was simply Bucky Barnes and Steve loved seeing this nerdy beautiful version of Bucky rather than any other. Steve supposed their day, night, 24/7 job didn’t reflect on who they really were.

Bucky loved science, it was his one true passion. Steve loved art. So, when the two were mashed together, it was weirdly exciting for the both of them. There was this prototype for a toy, something where two dials could be used to draw a line. At least, that’s what the information said. The prototype itself was being difficult and barely cooperated with the guy trying to show it off. Even when he tried to shake away the lines, it didn’t fully disappear. The guy apologised and said it had a long way to go still.

Bucky rambled on with the guy about how amazing it was that something like it could exist, proclaiming that he’d buy it once it was on the market. Steve merely asked questions on if you could make detailed pieces of art on it.

Steve fondly remembered that year for the Expo, and all the wonderful inventions.

And sitting with the Etch A Sketch lying on his lap now, he knew that the world was making huge leaps hardly anyone could comprehend.

After 1954, SHIELD became recognised more and more. They got results. They kept the public safe in ways the CIA could never imagine. If some people had seen what Steve, Bucky, Peggy, Howard and Chester had seen… they wouldn’t have been able to hack it. It took special people to be able to fight against the impossible, to believe in it at all.

Howard constantly debated with Peggy over what should be destroyed and what shouldn’t. She still maintained that some objects were more important and that destroying them would not only be a mistake but could have drastic consequences if they didn’t do it right. Steve and Bucky agreed with Howard, though. Not even SHIELD could be trusted. Especially since Steve knew Chester was still looking for the Tesseract behind the scenes.

It was why Steve and Bucky assembled special teams to look for the Darkhold. Why they searched and became worried when there was evidence of another monolith existing once, somewhere, on their planet. Anything that got flagged up as suspicious was immediately searched for, and if it was concluded to be lost, they hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite them in the ass.

Suffice it to say, the 50s were a decade full of achievements. Technology wise, with Howard and his theories on clean energy, specially getting Jason Wilkes to help on that project. SHIELD wise, with all they achieved, all the lives they helped save. But also, in terms of queer rights, it felt like things were changing, that public opinion could and would be swayed one day.

It was 1960, and there was an Etch A Sketch sitting on his lap, while Bucky was lying on their carpet floor reading The Wailing Asteroid. It really felt like the 50s had slipped from them, falling into the cracks. Maybe they were just getting old. Maybe it was their work.

Maybe it was all the technology making their lives easier.

It could have been Michael and Clara’s son, Christopher, who kept the group on their toes with his energetic behaviour. Or Peggy, Angie, Theo and Lee with their adopted children, Ruth and Benjamin, who were a couple of terrifying siblings. Steve and Bucky often helped out with Ruth and Ben, if their parents were on a mission, or doing a movie in Angie’s case. They’d earned the title of ‘Uncle’ before long.

Or, time going quickly could have been attributed to the lovely house Steve and Bucky had bought in Brooklyn just at the end of 1959.

It was probably all of it, really.

“Did I tell you that Howard might have met someone?” Bucky asked, his eyes focused on his book.

Steve nearly jostled the Etch A Sketch off his lap at the sudden noise in the quiet room. He’d have been upset if his (quite terrible) sketch of Bucky had been shaken away. “No? When did he tell you?”

“I was at Stark Industries yesterday, remember?”

“Oh, yeah… The Unity Project.”

“It’s legit.” Bucky flicked a page. “Her name is Maria. Apparently, she’s everything Howard could ever wish for. His perfect partner.”

“That’s sweet. What makes his perfect partner?”

“Well, Howard said she’s as smart as a whip, sarcastic as him and kind.”

“Huh… I’m surprised he didn’t say anything sexual.”

“Oh, he did, I’m sparing you.”

Steve choked on a laugh, once again nearly wiping his work off the Etch A Sketch. “Because I’m so innocent.”

“You wanna hear it?”

“No thanks, I don’t _really_ want to know.”

Bucky chuckled to himself, setting his book over his chest. “I’m kidding. He didn’t say anything sexual at all.”

“Really?”

“Really. I think… Maria might be the one for him. He’s been a womanizer, and regrettably not a manizer–”

“Howard prefers mananizer.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.” He smirked. “Anyway, he’s been, _him_ since we’ve known him, and I honestly believe with Maria it’s different.”

“Love at first sight?”

“I think it’s possible, especially for someone like Howard.”

Steve set his Etch A Sketch aside. “I’m happy for him. He’s been conflicted since 1952, torn between his wants for the future and his desires for the unknown.”

“You think Howard would be able to let that side of him go?”

“He doesn’t have to. He’ll always be queer, even if he ends up with a woman.”

Bucky pursed his lips, picking his book back up. “Yeah… Also, he wants us to go to the LA facility sometime this week.”

Steve groaned. If Howard was summoning them, it could mean nothing good. “Why?”

“Says he wants to do some tests.” Bucky shrugged. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Steve neither wanted to wait nor see, so he continued his sketch instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on my [tumblr :D](https://kateis-cakeis.tumblr.com/)


	8. A Curse And Blessing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kinda broke something in me when I wrote it XD  
> I hope you enjoy! :)

“We’re here, Howard. What do you need?” Steve asked as they whisked into Howard’s lab. He appeared to be drawing up some designs. Probably something to do with The Unity Project.

Howard spun in his chair, narrowing his eyes at them. “I need to take your blood. It’s for an experiment I’m doing for SHIELD. To see what two decades of working in our field can do and what we can invent to improve any negative effects.”

“You do realise I’m a super soldier, right?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Humour me?”

“You’re not trying to recreate the serum, right?”

Howard shook his head, looking amused. “The last thing we need is more super soldiers. Too many possibilities for someone to abuse that power. I’ve always trusted you implicitly, but you’re _you_.”

“Fine. But if we find out at any point that you’re trying to recreate the serum…” Steve glanced to Bucky, who was smirking, “we won’t hesitate.”

Howard held up his hands. “My intentions are good. You’ll find that out eventually.”

“Where do you need us?” Bucky asked.

They were seated in the opposite side of the lab, that looked more medical than the engineer’s paradise at the other side. A nurse came into the room with a trolley and prepared to take their blood, easily finding veins and sticking a needle into them without remorse. She got the samples Howard needed and soon left.

“I should have the results a year from now. There will be a lot to extrapolate from.” Howard grinned at them. “You trust me?”

Steve shrugged. “I mean, that’s one hell of a question, Howard.”

Bucky thumbed the plaster on his arm. “Might take us a year to get the answer.”

“Very funny.” He gave them a stern look. “Whatever I find out will be important. Believe me.”

“You’re not telling us something,” Steve said, cocking his head. “What are you keeping from us?”

“You’ll find out. But only once I know for certain.”

Bucky folded his arms. “I guess we’ll just have to trust you.”

“Guess you will.”

“I wouldn’t trust him,” a new voice said, waltzing into the room. A woman, with black hair and a clipboard resting in her arms. “He’s far too experimental.”

Bucky eyed her. “Maria, right?”

She smiled. “Yes.”

“I’m not worried that Howard may take things too far sometimes.” Bucky flashed a smile at her, turning to gesture vaguely at Howard. “I mean, where would we be without hovercars?”

“On the ground?” Steve joked. “I like the ground.” He grinned as Bucky glared at him (he always hated when Steve pretended to hate progress).

Maria laughed, shaking her head. She placed the clipboard on the table, where Howard had been previously working. “The Unity Project needs more than you.” She glanced to Steve and Bucky. “Can I speak freely with them here?”

“Yes,” Howard easily replied. “They’re great friends.”

“Aww,” Bucky cooed. “Didn’t know you liked us that much.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Differ all you like, Barnes. It won’t change the truth.”

“I don’t know, Stark. I could differ with you all day. Remember 1946?”

Howard smiled softly. “How could I forget?”

“I believe I’m missing something here,” Maria said.

Steve leaned towards Maria. “It’s their own playful banter. Just, let them do their thing.”

Maria shook her head. “I do need you to consider the possibility that you can’t do this alone, Mr Stark.”

Howard waved dismissively. “Isn’t Jason Wilkes enough?”

“Dr Wilkes is working on other projects. This requires focus.”

“I’ll think about it. But, Maria?”

“Yes?”

“Call me Howard.”

Steve glanced to Bucky and smiled. A silent communication of, ‘I know what you mean’.

Bucky nodded, tilting his head towards the two not yet lovebirds. ‘She’s the one’.

Looking towards Howard now, and that happy smile radiating from him as he talked to Maria was something beautiful. Bucky had been right. They could only hope their old friend wouldn’t mess it up.

\--

Peggy was out of town, well, she was out of America but, it was classified. And Theo was busy on a mission in New York, requiring Thompson’s vast knowledge of the agents at the Company Bell office. Lee was funnelling agents from the Brooklyn office to wherever they preferred to go, since they were retiring that particular base. Angie was about to start recording a new movie, it was a genre she’d never done before, so her entire focus was on her craft.

Which meant…

“Uncle Steve! Uncle Bucky!” Ruth yelled as she came running up to Steve and Bucky. Angie was in the doorway, laughing.

Steve lifted Ruth up, placing her on his hip. She was nine now, two years older than her brother. The two of them had been left on the doorstep of an orphanage once upon a time. Now, they were growing up with one mom who was a spy, one who was an actress and two dads who were spies. Very diverse indeed.

“Hey there, you’re getting big,” Steve said, making sure Ruth was comfortable. She wrapped her arms around him and giggled into his shoulder.

“But you’re strong, so you can carry me, Uncle Steve.”

“Yes, I can.”

“Uncle Bucky? Will you pick me up?”

Bucky smiled down at Ben and picked him up too. He was smaller than Ruth, and a right little terror when left unchecked. But he was cute, so he got a pass. Their parents were lucky that Steve and Bucky had no missions on at the moment, but since they were anti-corruption, they could spare more time than the others.

Theo was sometimes convinced Bucky sent them out on missions just to spent time with Ruth and Ben.

“Gosh! Look at you little man.” Bucky chuckled as Ben ruffled up his hair.

“Well,” Angie said. “I have to go. You guys have fun!”

“We will!” Ruth shouted, grinning at her mother with full force. “Have fun, Mom!”

Angie pointed to her, a glint in her eye that was not to be crossed. “Behave for your uncles.”

“Yes, Mom. Have fun on your _movie_.”

Bucky gasped. “What was that tone, young lady?”

“Uncle Bucky, are you my mom?”

“No…”

“Then don’t get involved.”

Angie shrugged when Steve gave her an exasperated look. “She’s like Peggy.”

Steve nodded as he let Ruth climb around onto his back. Not that he had a choice in the first place. “Ah, I understand now.”

“Ben, don’t mess up Bucky’s hair too much now.”

Ben retracted his hand as if it had been burnt. “Okay, Mom.”

Angie laughed once again, waving to them all as she closed the door. Her children waved back with powerful shakes of the hand. They would be strong when they grew older, that much was clear.

Bucky set Ben on the ground, letting the kid run around him enthusiastically. “Who wants to go to the park?”

Ruth jumped off Steve’s back so suddenly, he lurched forward in a small cough. “Jeez…” He recovered quickly, turning to the two, who had run to the door, standing tall. “You both remember the cover?”

Ruth nodded once. “Like my mom and my dads say, we have to play pretend.”

Ben gave a toothy grin. “You’re my pa, Uncle Bucky,” he said, slipping into a Brooklyn accent from his very English one.

“And you’re _my_ pa, Uncle Steve,” Ruth said, firm, sounding like a kid Steve and Bucky grew up with.

Bucky turned to Steve, grinning. “We’ve paid for our wives to have a spa day, and we’ve been landed with our kids. Not that we mind.”

Steve dug into his pocket, tossing one ring to Bucky while placing the other on his finger. Bucky’s was rose gold, while Steve’s was a plain gold band. “We do love to spend time with our children… a few times a year.

“We _are_ rich businessmen after all, we can’t be wasting our time.” As if to make a point, he tugged on his jacket, a rather expensive one. They had a few good suits in their arsenal.

Ruth lifted her chin, puffing her chest. Just like her ma. “We _know_ the cover. Let’s go!”

Steve and Bucky laughed, walking up to Ruth and Ben, offering their hands to the children. They waved them off as if they were crazy. They liked to hold hands with them to ensure they wouldn’t get lost, but Ruth was relentless, and Ben could find his way out of a labyrinth if he put his mind to it. They were their parents’ children, that was a certainty. Ruth had the authority of Peggy, while having the impatience of Lee. While Ben had great form and talent in the arts from Angie, as well as being able to follow orders without complaint like Theo (not that he wouldn’t voice concerns, the world would never move forward if someone didn’t).

“Central Park?” Bucky asked as he locked the apartment door.

“Yes!” Ruth and Ben shouted at the same time.

Siblings were like that… Different but so in sync.

As soon as they got to the park, Steve found an ice cream stall and bought some for Ruth and Ben. They were the uncles, they could spoil the children all day long. They made sure Ruth and Ben were _always_ in front of them. If anything were to happen, they’d see it. And to further cement that nothing would be happening, they walked with their faces set in mission mode. They knew from personal experience how they looked when focused.

According to their enemies, it was nothing short of terrifying.

Of course, Ruth and Ben never saw anything but their uncles. They were innocent like that. Knowing their parents played pretend for their jobs, knew they kept secrets, knew what to say and what to keep hidden inside.

As Ruth and Ben were stroking a dog who’d collapsed at their feet, a mother with three kids came up to Steve and Bucky. She smiled at Ruth and Ben, her eyes darted between them, then to Steve, to Bucky. A small smile formed upon her lips.

“I have to say, it is nice to see father’s taking care of their children.”

“Ah,” Bucky uttered, his eyes set on Ben, “we do our best when we can. My wife, she loves a little pampering. I take my son off her hands when she needs it, you know?”

The woman nodded, laughing. From the look of her dress, she wasn’t from a poor background. Her children were smartly dressed. “My husband does the same, but he _never_ takes my children out.” She grinned. “Good on you.”

Then she was gone, and Ruth and Ben were still stroking the dog, completely fine. It was good to know the woman wasn’t a distraction technique. It was a sad moment, to know so few men cared for the children they had fathered, that a well-off woman instantly knew it was a strange sight. It was a shame, attitudes were changing, but it was far too slow. Not to mention that Steve and Bucky had to pretend to be married to women just to get away with this.

The last time they pretended to be their uncles, someone looked to Ruth, then to Steve, and declared it was impossible and that he must have kidnapped the girl. That situation hadn’t been easy to diffuse. From then on, Ruth was determined that they would stay safe.

She had two moms and two dads, she’d been lying since she knew what lying was.

When Ruth and Ben returned, Bucky crouched down a little. “Who wants to get a hamburger?”

Ruth jumped a little. “See? This is why we behave for you.”

Steve threw his head back, barking a laugh. They could never tell Peggy that. “Good to know we’ve swayed you to our side.”

“I like being spoiled,” Ben said quietly. As Steve and Bucky both laughed, he grinned. “They don’t _care_ , Ruth.”

“Shh, Ben. We can use them as blackmail in the future.”

Bucky ceased laughing immediately. “Hold on, what?”

Ruth placed a hand on her hip, smirking. “My moms won’t like that you spoil us… Don’t cross me.”

Steve sighed. “Angie was right. She’s exactly like Peggy.”

Bucky threw his arm over Steve’s shoulder. “We’re done for, pal.”

“Hell yeah we are.”

\--

“Steve! Bucky! Meet my good friend Anton Vanko.”

Howard beckoned them over to where Vanko was sitting. He was looking over plans of some kind. There was something in his eyes though… something that made Steve suspicious. It could have been his inherent distrust in people, after being in his line of work for two decades, that was a given. But Howard had said ‘good friend’. That had to count for something… right?

“Hi,” Steve said, sticking out his hand to greet this mystery man.

Vanko looked up from his work and smiled, shaking Steve’s hand, then Bucky’s. “If you’ll believe it, I actually worked _for_ Howard. This time, I’m working _with_ him.”

Howard grinned, leaning on the table. “He defected, and now he’ll be working to better the world.” His eyes locked with Vanko’s. “You’re smart, I’m smart… We can do anything together.”

Bucky furrowed his brow at Howard, mouthing ‘Unity Project?’ before discreetly pointing at Vanko. Howard nodded and wiggled his hand back and forth. Which meant that was his plan, yet it would take time, or would be hard to get Vanko on side. Steve had heard, once, when Vanko worked for Howard, that Peggy had gone to him for help. That was a long time ago now. And… Steve didn’t trust everyone Howard let in.

Obadiah Stane, for one. If he ever did anything remotely dodgy, Steve and Bucky would take him down in a heartbeat. He’d already manipulated Howard, but as always, their friend was too trusting, too stubborn to listen.

Not everyone was as accepting and loving and kind as their group. Steve knew it was up to him and Bucky to keep Howard on the right path. He could be too easily swayed by what was possible, he never stopped to think. And with Peggy’s priority being SHIELD and Angie’s being her career, as well as their children, there was only Steve and Bucky to take notice of how Howard was doing.

He could break, easily. Good men could do bad things in the pursuit of science and technology.

Bucky shot Howard a grin. “So, you coming to Angie’s house?”

Howard pushed himself off the table. “I could hardly miss this evening.” He placed his hand on Vanko’s shoulder. “I have to go. Just ask the guards to close up when you’re done.”

“Will do,” Vanko said distantly, writing down some formulas while staring at some plans.

It was always a little bit of a nuisance, having to fly out to LA whenever Steve and Bucky wanted to see their friends. With the Cube, Ragtag, Camp Lehigh and Headquarters all being on the east coast, they mostly spent their time over there, rather than the west coast, which mainly just had Angie’s house and Stark Industries. There were a couple SSR turned SHIELD bases, but that was it for now.

It wasn’t like all of them weren’t used to travel, though. It was normal.

On this particular occasion, they were there to celebrate Angie’s interview on a popular show Steve hardly took notice of. But they had to support and be there for their friend. It was important. Not to mention that Angie had apparently embarrassed the interviewer. They were excited to see Angie like that, since they’d only heard rumours and stories.

“This isn’t my first TV interview guys,” Angie said once they’d arrived. She guided them to the living room, where Theo and Lee were distributing Swedish Fish, Lemonheads, SweeTarts and M&Ms into bowls. There were potato chips too, as well as cocoa puffs, because Lee was _weird_.

“We know,” Bucky chimed as he picked up a handful of M&Ms, grinning as Theo glared at him, pouring more into the bowl. “We just love to support your work, Angie.”

Angie rolled her eyes.

Steve looked around. “Are Ruth and Ben banished to their bedrooms?”

“No, they’re with Michael,” Peggy said, coming into the room with five sticks of Opal Fruits. She’d never stop being British. “You know what we’re all like when we’re around each other.”

Howard went from looking slightly bored to bouncing on his feet. “Schnapps?”

Angie smacked him over the head with a napkin. “No, silly. Liqueur Chocolates!”

“Even better!”

Theo held up a bottle, placing it on the table. “And chocolate wine.”

Lee set a box of chocolates down on the coffee table, and with a sigh of relief, grabbed his bowl of dry cocoa puffs and collapsed onto the armchair. Theo pushed another armchair next to it, throwing his legs over the arm, pushing his feet into Lee’s side.

Howard poured a rather large glass of chocolate wine, grabbing a couple chocolates before sitting on the floor, by the snacks. Peggy tended to the TV, ensuring it was on the right channel. And just in time too, as the programme was starting. Angie settled on the couch with a glass of wine and some potato chips, Peggy sat pressed up against her, Opal Fruits on her lap.

“This interview was stupid really,” Angie murmured, sipping her wine.

“Stupid? How could anything with you be stupid?” Howard asked.

Lee huffed around his cocoa puffs. “It’s because of the questions.”

“Dumb questions for such an accomplished actress,” Theo chimed.

“Shush!” Steve called, trying his best to hear over the mindless chatter of his friends. He leant forward, plucking the bowl of Swedish fish off the table.

Angie laughed. “I could recite this entire interview for you.”

“Yeah, but what would be the fun in that. Come on. Pegs, tell them?”

Peggy sighed. “Alright, if you don’t all shut up, I’ll shoot you. We have to support my darling here.”

“Exactly!” Bucky exclaimed, flopping down next to Steve. A handful of chocolates and M&Ms in his hands.

Interview Angie had a sleek dress on, sitting back on a couch in a way that did not make her look dainty. Or whatever her agents and producers wanted her to look like. Her gaze was powerful, her brow slightly furrowed as she listened to the question.

_“Well, what can I say? My success is not an easy tale. Although, I’d imagine I would be nowhere if I didn’t stand my ground.”_

_“Does your husband mind when you stand your ground? He’s quite the accomplished businessman.”_

Steve nearly choked on his candy. He’d forgotten Lee’s cover. A businessman… in his dreams maybe. Or in another world. Not here, not ever. Lee chuckled softly from his armchair, and as Steve looked to him, he shrugged.

_“My husband doesn’t give a single… what’s the polite word?” Interview Angie cocked her head, a smirk spreading across her face. “Anyway. He’d rather I stand up to the worst of the industry than lie down and take it.”_

_The interviewer pursed his lips, looking down at the paper at his side, then back to Angie. “You have been avid in making sure the industry is safe for women. Do you not think you exaggerate some of your claims?”_

_“I believe this show will air to early for me to say rape, right?” Her gaze shifted to someone behind the camera. She seemed to get some sort of confirmation as she curtly nodded. “Girls, women, get abused in Hollywood. It is not secret when you’re in the right circles. I’m here to protect those who are vulnerable to the evil of the men in this line of work.” She flicked a dangerous smile to the interviewer. “But… we don’t want to get into that, do we?”_

_“No. Not at all Ms Martinelli.”_

Steve smiled at the polite use of Angie’s surname. Some people referred to her as Lee’s cover’s surname (after all, they may have used his first name, but not his second. He was still an agent). But both Angie and Peggy kept their real second names. They didn’t owe that to their fake husbands, Theo and Lee didn’t want that anyway.

_“Good. I’m glad. It’s a complicated subject.”_

_“Your new movie, Hover in Time, tell us a bit about it.”_

Interview Angie went on to gush about the new movie she was currently recording. Apparently, it was a comedy that took place in the early ‘50s, based around the hovercar coming onto the market and how that changed everything. Steve thought it was a weird choice, but the movie really went into the technology of it. They even had to get Howard to sign it off, since much of the hovercar was still a protected secret.

But these days, it was less so, as other car companies were beginning to finally get their own versions out.

_“So, your character is a bit of a diva?”_

_“Aren’t all my characters?” Angie smirked, leaning forward. “This one is a bit different. She’s powerful, more so than the men. What is it they say? Behind every powerful man is a woman?” She smiled. “This character is slightly different to my others; she doesn’t have a romantic interest.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Well, I am getting old, you know?” Angie shook her head. “No. It was a mutual decision to leave that aspect out. Times are changing, you know. It’s the ‘60s, not the ‘20s.”_

_The interviewer smiled tightly. “Thank you, Angie Martinelli, this has been an enlightening experience.”_

_“Oh, I bet it has.”_

Peggy reached forward and shut the TV off. She pressed her knee against Angie’s, kissing her cheek. “Wonderful, darling.”

“You definitely ate him for breakfast,” Bucky said, lighting up as he popped a couple M&Ms into his mouth.

“Real stellar,” Theo called, his head hanging down from his chair. “I love when you get merciless on them.”

“Ah, Theo, I have to. Otherwise they’d ask any old question.” She winked and tilted her head towards Lee. “Do you have any comment to make, fake husband?”

Lee shook his head, chewing on his cocoa puffs. “Don’t have to say much, you were great,” he said around his food, spluttering crumbs a little.

Howard lay back on the carpet, patting his stomach. “I don’t think you schooled him hard enough.”

In an instant, Peggy had a cushion lifted above her head.

“Not an insult, Pegs. Stand down.”

Peggy lowered the cushion, eyeing Howard with suspicion.

“I get you, Howard,” Angie cut in, placing her hand on Peggy’s arm. “I have to reign in my ruthlessness, I’m still a woman.”

Howard nodded. “Shame, I’d love to see an interviewer break down in tears at your words.”

She laughed. “Me too.”

Steve thumbed the edge of his bowl. “I think you did perfect, a nice balance between killing that interviewer in cold blood, while having that edge of sarcasm, wit and politeness.”

“Thanks, Cap. Means a lot coming from your quick-witted self.”

“Can we get drunk now?” Peggy asked, her lips stretching in a cheeky smile.

“Thought you’d never ask!” Theo bolted up from his upside-down position, materialising several bottles from behind the armchair.

The carpet came close to having a dark end, as Theo too haphazardly poured several glasses of pretty much any kind of wine Steve could imagine. There was whiskey for Peggy. And schnapps as per tradition. Howard grabbed a bottle of schnapps, sighing happily as he opened it, filling a glass. Bucky dove for a glass of chocolate wine, grabbing more liqueur chocolates on the way. Steve decided to go against the sweetness this time around and went for a glass filled with red wine.

Theo and Lee took several glasses back to the armchair and folded themselves into one, curled up in each other and alcohol. There was something awfully domestic about the whole thing, especially as Peggy sipped her whiskey, legs thrown over Angie’s lap (who had a nice glass of schnapps).

It was nice.

“Who do you think will get wasted first?” Theo asked, downing one glass of wine.

“Not Bucky,” Howard, Peggy and Angie said at once, laughing as they realised what they’d done.

“It’s possible I could be first, for once.” Bucky shrugged, downing half his drink.

Howard eyed Bucky, his gaze landing on Bucky’s hoard of alcoholic items after a beat. “You _never_ get drunk, and I’ve seen you drink more than _me_.”

Bucky smirked, popping another chocolate liqueur into his mouth. “High tolerance.”

“No, Dum Dum has a high tolerance. You’re more like Steve.”

Peggy scrunched up her face. “ _No one_ is like Steve.”

“Trust me,” Steve spoke up, swirling his drink, “Bucky just has a high tolerance. More than Dum Dum’s if you’ll believe.”

Howard scoffed but lay down and let the conversation flow to another subject. Weird…

The night carried on as normal from there. Their friends got drunk as skunks, while Steve and Bucky got tired and from there, got a little bit of a buzz. It was crazy, there were snacks spilt all over the floor. For goodness sake, they were all in their early to mid-forties and were still acting like they had all the time left in the world.

Time moved quick, especially in their job. Life was worth living to the last moment. But out of everyone there, only Steve and Bucky were joined at the hip, spending almost every hour together, truly married to their work. Howard could understand that sentiment, being married to work, but he was softening. With each slice of progress the world made, Howard settled. They could only hope nothing would ever stir up his wartime mindset.

America may have been at war in more ways than one, but it would never be World War II. Never be as pressing, as demanding, as scary. Howard could be kept from the brink of what his genius could achieve.

Steve looked over his friends having fun, happy and joyful. Laughing at whatever Lee had said.

He knew fine well all of them could slip into a darker manner of thinking, see the world as bleak, and stop progress in the name of peace. Like Peggy once tried to do with the hovercars. That’s why it was so important Steve and Bucky were there to balance everyone out. Otherwise… SHIELD would go too far, cross too many lines and become the people they wished to defeat.

\--

1963 was edging into 1964 and Howard was being… strange. Not like he was being suspicious; he wasn’t doing anything that seemed dodgy or off the books. It was like he was trying to solve a puzzle, about Steve and Bucky. But they couldn’t figure out what. There was only one secret they’d kept from their friends and the likelihood that Howard had picked up on that was low.

So, it made no sense why he’d asked them to come to Stark Industries in LA. They knew every project he was working on, and none of it needed Steve and Bucky present. Unless he suspected someone in his company was corrupt then… Who knew really?

When they got to Howard’s personal lab, they found him with his head in his hands.

“Hey,” he said, muffled. He raised his head. “I have something to tell you.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “What have you done?”

Howard glared at Bucky for a second, like the suggestion was crazy. Then… he closed his eyes. “I’ve been experimenting with your blood for years now…”

“What do you mean?” Steve placed his hands on his hips. “You gave us the results of your investigation. Stress is a negative factor, but in people who started younger, their system is more adept.”

“Valid results… My team did a good job. But it was also a cover for what I was truly doing.”

“Which was?”

“You’re in your mid-forties now…”

Bucky tilted his head. “Yeah, so?”

“Sit… please.”

“What’s going on…?”

Howard gestured to the chairs off to the side of him. Steve sat and rolled over to him; Bucky did the same. They gave him quizzical looks. When Steve had the feeling, all those years back, that Howard summoning them meant nothing good, he didn’t think it would come to much. He’d thought it was his mild distrust in what science could achieve. Maybe he was wrong.

Of all the things he’d experienced, this made him uneasy.

“I…” Howard leant forward, steepling his fingers. “Look at me, I was born the same year as Bucky. Do you notice a difference?”

Steve glanced between them both, dramatically. “Apart from the fact you have completely different faces?”

“My face has aged. I have a couple more decades under my belt since we first met. I’m getting older.” He stared long and hard at Bucky, then did the same to Steve. It was a little unnerving. “You both look like you’re twenty-five, twenty-six.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “We have good genes. What can I say?”

“Both of you? You look so _young_. You’re in a business with constant stress, despite the result I got, it still _ages_ us. Have you seen Peggy lately? She looks her age, as do I.”

“Howard, what are you getting at?” Steve cut in, furrowing his brow. He didn’t understand. Was he suggesting they weren’t aging in the correct way?

He lay back in his chair, sighing. “I have done so many tests. Put your blood under constant watch. Looked at your cells. Brought the components down to pellets in a centrifuge to get the tiniest parts… and what did I find?” His eyes were red rimmed… What _did_ he find? “It was only a hypothesis, at first. Until it wasn’t…”

“We don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Bucky bit at his bottom lip. “Howard, cut to the chase.”

“Erskine only theorised, he didn’t believe–”

“ _Howard!”_

“The serum! It… enhances the cells, you know that, Steve. It’s why you can’t get drunk.” Howard swallowed thickly. “I believe it could affect the cells so much that they don’t replicate unless you’re healing. I think even when they do replicate, they don’t degrade because the serum fixes them…”

“And if they don’t degrade, they stay healthy?” Steve asked, his legs shaking a little. Bucky reached out for Steve’s hand, curling his fingers around.

“Yeah… Which means… You know how it cured all your illnesses?”

“Yeah?”

“It cures aging too.”

Steve turned his hand in Bucky’s, squeezing tight. He felt tears prickling at his eyes. “You confirmed it… in your tests.”

Howard looked down, nodding. “Yes…”

“You know I have the serum then, or a version of it at least,” Bucky said.

“When we watched Angie’s interview and we teased you about your high tolerance, I suspected. I knew it was suspicious before then, I had already been experimenting with your blood, but it confirmed it more than before. You knew you couldn’t get drunk, had known for a long time.”

“I knew I’ve had the serum since Zola first experimented on me. Found out I couldn’t get drunk in the bar in London.”

“Shit.” Howard hunkered down in his chair. “I’m sorry…”

Steve couldn’t believe this was happening, that it could be possible. “Would we die of old age, ever?”

“You wouldn’t _get_ old. And you certainly wouldn’t get any illness. The serum would stop that.”

“Fuck…”

Bucky stood, pacing away from Steve and Howard. He tipped his head to the ceiling, to the ground. He looked ten seconds away from breaking. “Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t have told you if I wasn’t.”

“Shit. Fuck.” Bucky clenched and unclenched his fists. “So, we either die on the job or we don’t die at all.”

Howard wrung his hands. “I’m not sure how effective the serum really is. I’m not sure what you’ll survive.”

“If I can survive jumping out of a plane into the ocean, where I should have landed and broke all my bones then…” Steve closed his eyes, twisting slightly in his chair. “We’re still human, we can still die.”

Bucky turned around, his face contorted in pain and fear. “Of course we can, but how horrible and painful will it have to be? What will we have to suffer? And how much will we suffer, knowing we will live through it?”

Steve launched off his chair, walking to the opposite side of the room. “I don’t know. I don’t want to know.”

“God! Fuck! I can’t believe–” Bucky brushed his hands through his hair, slightly tugging. “If we don’t die doing our jobs… we will outlive _everyone_.”

“Please, Buck… Don’t put it into words.” Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to sort through the conflict in his head.

“Guys… please,” Howard murmured. “Just… calm down.”

“Calm down?!” Bucky yelled. “How do you expect us to do that?!” He clenched his jaw, pressing his hands into a table. “At least Steve had a choice in getting the serum. You think _I_ did?”

“Do you think I knew it would be like this?!” Steve knew his anger was bubbling to the top. He didn’t want to take it out on Bucky, but if he started spouting bullshit about choices, Steve knew he’d explode. “I wasn’t briefed on all the what ifs and downsides. I just knew it could give me a chance at following _you_ into the war! I didn’t know it would stop me from aging!”

Bucky pushed himself away from the table, stalking up to Steve. “But that’s just it, isn’t it? You always get a choice. _Always_. I’m just along for the fucking ride!”

“That’s not fair!”

“None of this is!”

Howard appeared beside them, placing a hand on one of their shoulder’s. “Please… don’t direct your anger at each other. I didn’t mean for–”

“Howard,” Bucky said through gritted teeth. “This is between me and Steve… You don’t have a serum running in your blood that stops you from growing old like everyone else so _back off_.”

Howard retracted his hands, his eyes wide. He looked devastated. “You’re in pain. But it doesn’t make it right to get angry like this. You have each other’s backs through thick and thin, right? Take solace in the fact that you won’t lose your loved one for stupid reasons. You won’t have to watch each other die slowly; you won’t have to go through any of that. It may be a curse, but it’s one you share, and that’s a blessing.”

Bucky took a breath, and in that single moment, the anger poured off him, tears falling from his eyes. Steve couldn’t stay angry for a single second, stepping forward and wrapping Bucky in his arms. His breathing hitched as he too began to cry, holding Bucky with all the strength he could manage when all he wanted to do was scream. Did anyone really know the effects the serum would have? All of it was just theory, and Steve, Bucky, they were test subjects. Even if Steve volunteered for it, he didn’t ask for this.

No one would ask for this.

“I’m sorry,” Steve whispered.

Bucky tightened his grip, bringing Steve even closer. “I’m sorry too. Wasn’t fair of me to shout.”

Steve cried out, feeling the pain of this revelation really sink in. “I love you.”

“I love you too… to the end of the line.”

“Whenever that may be.”

Bucky buried his head into Steve’s hair. “Whenever that may be…”

\--

Submerging themselves in their work was the only thing they could do after such a revelation. Knowing they had no choice but to live and live, not knowing what their future could possibly hold. People, normal people, could plan their lives, have children, retire, live, travel. Steve and Bucky? What would they have? SHIELD? Being uncles to their friend’s children? Would they outlive the next generation? The grandchildren?

It was crazy to think. That Bucky, despite being the oldest sibling, had a real chance of outliving his sisters.

It all depended on if they died on the job.

But when they’d had enough of wallowing in their work, they got the group together. They must have noticed their still young faces, yet it was easy to link it to good genes. Instead of the serum running around in their bodies. With all the technology the world had (and with the Unity Project going ahead with Vanko and Howard’s team) and all the weapons they’d been faced with, Steve imagined it wouldn’t be hard to convince their friends that this was real.

Even with Howard’s data, seeing was believing. And they did look young, too young for how old they were.

They had arranged for everyone to meet at their apartment. The comfort of home was what they needed, not somewhere foreign and unfamiliar.

Bucky had been making everyone cups of coffee or tea while Steve got them seated on their couches. They made sure their friends were comfortable, happy, with their cuppas (as Peggy would say) because a cuppa could fix everything… Perhaps even the sadness they were about to impart.

“So, why are we here? This isn’t an intervention, is it?” Peggy said, her sarcasm shining through. Their words were going to crush that, split it in two.

“We…” Bucky bit at his lips, breathing in. “I have the serum… Zola’s version.”

Theo furrowed his brow minutely. “Zola? That mad HYDRA scientist?”

“Yeah… When he used me as his test subject, I was the only one who didn’t die. I was stronger, faster, could heal quicker, can’t get drunk.”

“That makes sense,” Angie whispered.

Steve grasped Bucky’s hand, curling his fingers around tightly. “But that’s not all… The serum is so effective in both of us that… our cells never degrade and we– We don’t age.”

“ _What_?” Peggy exclaimed, her eyes wide, frantic.

Lee lunged forward, placing his mug on the coffee table as his hands shook. “No? How?”

Angie struggled to form words, her mouth opening and closing as tears formed at her eyes.

Theo was stock still, his line of sight locked on Howard.

“I did tests,” Howard offered up as an explanation. “I suspected something was going on, so, I tested on their blood for years… They can’t age, it’s impossible. The serum stops it.”

“Fuck this!” Angie said, standing. Steve had never seen Angie look so distressed before, and definitely not over him. She held her mug in her hands like it was a precious gem. “Fuck… That’s a horrible fate. I’m so sorry.”

Bucky ducked his head, tears falling off his chin. “My one wish was for us to grow old as a team, retire and drink schnapps till our dying day. Now… now Steve and I will have no choice but to watch as you all grow old.”

Theo drank his coffee deeply, placing the mug on the floor gently. His hands weren’t shaking as much as Lee’s, but it was close. “Look, we’ve all promised to be here for each other. And we’re here for you. Anything you need, anything you ever need, whether its to cry about how this is bullshit, please lean on us. We can take it. Because, shit man, this is horrifying.”

Peggy pursed her lips, her eyes full of water, raring to leak out. “This is truly terrible… And I’m so sorry. But at least you’re together in this, like you’ve been together in everything. This may be horrible now, but if anything, you can keep the world _good_.”

What if we become corrupt?” Steve asked, his voice quieter than he meant. “It’s inevitable, isn’t it?”

“Of course it isn’t. You have both done awful things for the greater good, but that does not mean you will lose who you are. Time cannot change our core parts of ourselves.”

“Always remember our promise,” Howard said.

“The serum keeps you alive,” Lee stated. “Without it, Steve, you’d be dead. And so would you, Bucky. It’s kept you going, and it always will. Perhaps your purpose is to do what you always have done, keep the peace, dole out justice and… save the world.”

“Words of wisdom right there.” Bucky wiped his tears away. “I don’t want to watch you get old…”

“But you can’t just go out there and die either,” Theo said, his stare stern. Okay, their friends disagreed with suicide.

Howard sighed, his eyes full of regret. “And I can’t reverse it.”

Angie made a small wounded noise. “You can’t?”

“Not without taking the serum away, which might be impossible anyway.”

“And would certainly kill me,” Steve said, blowing out a breath. “We’re in a lose-lose here.”

“Yes… we are,” Peggy murmured.

Their friends stayed for support till evening came. No one quite wanted to leave Steve and Bucky alone, but they promised they were fine. They’d known about this for months upon months now, had come to some sort of peace with it. But Steve knew he’d never fully accept it. Not until it was definitely proven to be true. They could still be aging, perhaps the rate was at a snail’s pace.

Although, if it was, how long would it take to grow old?

Steve and Bucky quickly got ready for bed, having no energy to stay up any longer. Telling everyone had been the right thing to do, but it had been draining. They curled up beside each other, tangling their legs and rested down. Steve looked into Bucky’s eyes, searching.

They moved without thinking, lips pressing against one another, soft yet sad. They’d had many kisses over the decades, but this one… it was so restful. They knew their fates; knew they couldn’t change a bloody thing. Maybe it was better that way.

Bucky pulled away, staring at Steve before pulling him into a bone crushing hug. “We’ll get through this. We will, because we’re _us_.”

“I know, Buck… I know.”


	9. Secrets

“Vanko.” Bucky said, slapping a file onto Steve’s desk. “I don’t trust him.”

Steve picked up the file and flipped it open. There were a few pictures of Vanko appearing near the black market of LA. An easy location to find if you know who to ask, or if you’re a regular. It was amazing they even had pictures, taken by SHIELD agents placed at Stark Industries by Bucky. Huh, Steve had forgotten about that. Too distracted by all the shitty things going on in the Cold War and the Vietnam war.

Times were good in ways, but not on the war front.

And apparently, not on a Stark Industries front either. If _anything_ happened to Howard’s company, progress would be wiped out. And the last thing they needed was the Arc Reactor research to stop. The Unity Project was the single most important advancement since hovercars.

“You think he’s betraying Howard?”

“I hope not. We’ve all trusted that guy since 1963, but if he’s a rat, he’s a rat.”

Steve threw the file down. “I hate this fucking job.” He scrubbed his face. “I hate knowing that we’ll always be betrayed.”

“Howard trusts good people, and we know first hand that good people can do bad things.” Bucky took the file and scanned over the information. “Maybe he’s not lost.”

“We have to find out if he’s doing anything at all first.”

“No one goes to this part of town… You already know.”

Steve wished it wasn’t the case. But he wanted to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. “We’ll tail him, then we’ll know.”

“Shit.”

The Cube had to be left once again for Steve and Bucky to go to LA. It sometimes felt as if they spent more time on the west coast than the east. But moving out there…? It wasn’t for them. They got themselves set up in a decent hotel and were assured by Theo that everything would be kept under control at the Cube. Often, Steve and Bucky left Theo in charge when they were gone. They could trust him and Lee to do what was necessary.

Tailing Vanko wouldn’t be easy. They didn’t know where he lived, yet. And didn’t know what days or times he could possibly be going to the dodgy side of town. So, as soon as they got settled, Steve rang Howard. He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to phrase it yet, but he was hoping he could get the information he needed.

“Hello?” Howard’s voice crackled through.

“Howard, it’s Steve. Can you tell me where Anton Vanko lives?”

“Why?”

“His name has cropped up in our investigation of an agent. We just need to speak with him.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Howard read off Vanko’s address while Steve quickly wrote it down.

“Thanks.”

“I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

The line went dead, and Steve turned to Bucky, holding up the paper. “Wanna go?”

Bucky – who’d been lying on the bed – bolted up and grabbed his thin jacket. “As long as we can grab some food on the way.”

Steve grasped Bucky’s waist, placing a small kiss on his lips. “Anything for my best guy.”

“Aw, Stevie, when did you get so sappy?”

“When I fell in love with you.” He pulled away. “Sandwiches or burgers?”

Bucky stared at him for a second, huffing an amused breath. “You can’t just say something like that and proceed to ask what I want to eat.”

Laughing, Steve pulled on his leather jacket and grabbed his wallet. “I can, and I did.”

“You’re a punk.”

Steve beamed at Bucky, who was grinning back. “Jerk.”

\--

They’d been tailing Vanko for a week when they finally had some sort of a breakthrough. It was in the middle of the damn night, or early in the morning depending on how you wanted to see it. Vanko had snuck out of his rather nice house, where he lived with his wife. Considering there were no lights on, it was safe to assume his wife wasn’t in on this.

As Vanko got into his car, Bucky turned theirs on, it beginning to hover off the ground. For a brief moment, Steve thought Vanko would notice, but he didn’t so much as look as he reversed off his drive and turned to the direction of the city. Bucky followed from a great distance, it helped that while the cars still made a great deal of noise, it wasn’t as bad as it was fifteen years ago.

As expected, Vanko pulled up in the worse side of town, his car settling on the ground gently before he hopped out, a briefcase in hand. Not good. Bucky parked up as well, and Steve searched through the glovebox, handing a pair of sunglasses, a wig and a cap to Bucky while fishing out his own. Bucky suddenly had slightly long black hair, while Steve had a lovely mop of brown on his head.

They got out of their car, listening for footsteps, following the sounds until they found Vanko once again, standing in front of a door. A slit in the door slid open, a pair of eyes peering out. Vanko appeared to say something before immediately being let in. Steve stepped out of their cover, Bucky following close behind.

“Couldn’t hold the door, could you?” Steve asked, his accent strongly Irish.

The door slammed shut and instead, the slit opened. “Password.”

Steve and Bucky were well aware the password for this placed changed from time to time. They always knew how to get in regardless. “Is it still apples ain’t lemons?”

The eyes narrowed. “How long have you guys been gone?”

“Well,” Bucky piped up in a Russian accent, “our job takes us far. We made good use of the Elephant Bear last time we were here.” A gun that Steve and Bucky had taken off the market, since it used a little too much radiation for their taste.

The eyes widened now. “Oh, of course. You’re the Winter Soldiers. Please, come in, come in.”

The door swung open and they were greeted with a guy they knew from the last time they were here. The man beamed at them, shaking both their hands.

“I missed you guys.” He pointed to Bucky’s hair. “New. I like it.”

Bucky touched the tips. “I think the style suits me.”

“It does! Go on, I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.”

Their covers for anything criminal related was ‘The Winter Soldiers’. Two ex-military who had turned to crime once they’d stopped serving. The stories of their covers ran wide, had become hearsay. It was easy to spread rumours on cases where SHIELD had captured the person responsible. Steve and Bucky used the most well-known crimes to push their covers, without anyone ever knowing. Because… no one left a SHIELD prison.

So, once the name ‘Winter Soldiers’ began to be tossed around, they could get into any place. Steve went with an Irish accent because he knew a lot about the gangs that existed, and it was easy to slip into, since he grew up with the accent. Bucky used Russian because he found it easy and liked how it made him sound.

They ventured into the building solely used for all things criminal. It was a wonder it was still in the same place after so many years. Steve and Bucky wouldn’t pursue it as SHIELD, since it gave them so many leads. But the police seemed to ignore its existence, despite the amount of illegal firearms, ammo, swords, knives and technology that was in here.

Vanko hadn’t strayed far, and with his thick moustache, aging features and plump face, he wasn’t hard to keep track of. His briefcase was still firmly in his hands, nothing had happened yet. Maybe, that was a blessing.

Vanko pushed passed the crowds of people at certain tables and stalls, walking towards a door at the end of the room. There was a lot of witnesses, but Steve knew fine well fights were to be expected. He grabbed Vanko’s arm and yanked him to the nearest wall, pinning him against it.

“What are you doing?” he snarled.

Bucky came up behind Steve, covering his six. “It doesn’t have to go this way, Vanko.”

“Who are you?” he eked out; eyes wide yet showed no emotion.

“Friends of Howard.”

“Is there a problem here, boys?” a voice said.

Steve kept Vanko pinned as Bucky turned to the muscular man who’d spoken. “Guy forgot to fucking pay us. Just making sure the message is clear.”

The guy laughed, waving them off. “Carry on then. Give him hell.”

Once the guy had moved on, Steve wrenched the briefcase out of Vanko’s hand, passing it back to Bucky. He opened it, and inside were papers. He was definitely selling, not buying. Bucky rifled through them, a little gasp escaping his lips.

“It’s pieces of info on the Unity Project. And… Stark Industries projects that are connected with SHIELD.”

Steve tightened his hold on Vanko. “You do this, and you’ll be deported.”

Vanko struggled out of Steve’s grip, but only because he let him do so. “Doing this makes me rich.”

“Not if we report you,” Bucky said, snapping the briefcase shut. “Think about Howard, _please_.”

“He thinks this will benefit the world! It’s worth more than that.”

“But this isn’t your first time here.”

Vanko pressed his lips into a thin line.

Steve closed his eyes, hardly believing this was as bad as it was. “You’re just trying to get easy money. Don’t be so _stupid_. If you help develop this technology, you’ll be a millionaire, you and Howard will control the pace for the future of energy.” He clenched his jaw. “You sell any more secrets, and you lose all of that. You lose the trust of a great friend.”

Vanko stepped further away. “You don’t control me. I’m doing what’s best.”

“Yeah, for you maybe.”

Bucky bared his teeth, he looked as angry as Steve felt. “You’ll destroy Howard.”

“I don’t care. The guy is insane for thinking we shouldn’t use this technology to make ourselves _rich_. The cost of it alone could bankrupt Stark Industries. I’m helping more than hindering.”

“If you really believe that…” Steve stepped into Vanko’s space, “then you’re lost.”

“Last chance, Vanko. We can arrest you here and now. Or we can give you a second chance.”

“Why would you? I’ve already betrayed your friend. I could easily do it again.”

Bucky leant into Steve, mouth close to his ear. “We can take him to Howard, see what he thinks.”

Steve, keeping his eyes on Vanko, tapped Morse code onto Bucky’s neck. ‘It might still destroy him’.

“This is better than any alternative.”

Steve nodded and Bucky stepped away. He moved forward and as Vanko tried to back away, he took his arm and twisted it around his back, causing the guy to squeal a little. Pathetic, really. Here was someone who’d betrayed a friend, a fellow scientist, someone who trusted him, for money. He was nothing more than another corrupt soul. Maybe he could be saved, but was he worth that?

They got a few strange looks on the way out, and once they got to the door, the guy looked at them with a raised eyebrow and a sigh on his lips.

“I feel sorry for you man.” He locked eyes with Vanko. “The Winter Soldiers do not take kindly to those who cross them.”

“No, no we do not,” Bucky said with a smile as the doorman let them out.

They shoved Vanko into their car and made their way to Stark Industries. It would be lights out by now, maybe the cleaners would be home, but it was doubtful. There wasn’t any security on the parking lot, so Bucky happily turned into it and rested their car down.

The activities of the night didn’t have Steve in a sleeping sort of mood. He got out of the car and breathed in the warm California air. It was pleasant, to have such a warm night in the face of betrayal. He walked around the car to the trunk, opening it and grabbing a few tools. First, he checked the pressure of the hover generators. It was much like checking tire pressure… which was something Steve hadn’t thought about in a long time.

Hover had almost been around for two decades, thinking about how cars used to be was strange and weirdly foreign. It wasn’t like everything hovered in the same way, though. Trucks had many big generators now and had been the last vehicle to achieve hover.

At least, public vehicles wise. Military vehicles still stuck to the ground. Steve didn’t really want to know what a hovering tank would look like.

He moved on to checking the rubber cuffs on the generator, making sure the thickness was at the correct level and there wasn’t any damage. If the cuffs wore away, the generators could be easily damaged.

This car was a little special, it mattered. Steve and Bucky came to LA a lot and kept this beauty in storage. It was a classic Chrysler Imperial, first batch from 1955. While they could buy a new one at any time, this one had history with them. A little sentimentality.

He popped the hood when the generators turned out fine. He checked the oil, the coolant (hovercars needed a vast amount) and checked the engine and battery weren’t corroding away or anything.

When Steve closed the hood, finding nothing wrong, he saw Bucky was asleep, a tiny smile on his face. He got back in the car, rolling his shoulders and leant his head against the window. They had Vanko handcuffed in the back, they had the briefcase safe in the trunk and their car wasn’t in need of any work.

All in all, they’d had a good day considering.

When he woke in the morning, the parking lot was filling up quick with so many cars. New and old. A couple had tires, which was strange to see, but Steve suspected those people didn’t have as much money as others. The quality and brand of the cars varied vastly, it was fun to count all the differences.

That was until they saw a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray pull up in the space right outside the door. Howard. He got out of the car, in his suave suit, Maria at his side, carrying a bag. He looked so peaceful, so ready for work and what he could develop next. Steve didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. Bucky looked grim too, staring as Howard disappeared into the building.

Steve turned around, seeing Vanko’s face set in defiance. “It’s time for you to understand what betraying a friend means.”

Steve and Bucky wrenched Vanko out of the car, who was suddenly being very tight-lipped. As Steve held onto his arm, forcing him forward, Bucky grabbed the briefcase and locked the car. They held their heads high as they meandered through the parking lot and into the building. People stopped and looked wide eyed at Vanko, eyes landing on Steve and Bucky.

At the door, a security guard tilted his head. “ID please.”

Steve and Bucky showed their SHIELD ID cards. Level 10, Directors of SHIELD. It got them anywhere in America security wise. The guard gaped at them and immediately let them through, apologising for being so harsh on them. That was another thing, being Directors of SHIELD made people afraid of them. After all, the whole organisation was a huge conspiracy to the public.

What was the need of SHIELD if they had the CIA?

If only the public really knew what their jobs were.

As they carted Vanko through the halls, people stopped still, staring at their co-worker. Some focused on the briefcase, others kept their eyes on Steve. Some narrowed their eyes at Vanko, like he was a rival, like he wasn’t to be trusted.

They eventually got to Howard’s lab, where he was standing next to Maria, clearly in a flirtatious manner. Steve was almost saddened to break them apart, but this couldn’t wait. What happened to Vanko next was top priority.

“Howard,” Bucky said, setting the briefcase down on a table.

Howard backed away from Maria, his line of sight landing on Vanko. “Why have you got Anton handcuffed…? I thought you were going after an agent.”

Steve felt bad for having to lie like that. “Sorry. We didn’t want to worry you if the reports were false.”

Bucky opened the briefcase and beckoned Howard over. “He was selling your secrets on the black market.”

Howard grabbed the sheets of paper, frantically reading through them. He flicked through them, tossing them onto the ground once he was finished. His eyes welled up as he made his way through the information. Until he looked up, staring straight into Vanko’s soul.

“How _could_ you?!”

Vanko pressed his lips together and kept his eyes off Howard, not even having the decency to look at him. “You didn’t see the true potential.”

“ _Potential_?! Do you know what you’ve done?! SHIELD secrets too, oh my god.” Howard tossed the rest of the sheets down, shuffling to Maria’s side. She wrapped her arms around him as he sobbed into her shoulder. “I trusted him…”

“I know you did, darling. I know you did.”

Vanko clenched his jaw, glancing to the ground, then to the wall. “What are you going to do with me?”

Steve tightened his grip on Vanko, just on the edge of painful. “That’s for Howard to decide. You didn’t betray us, you betrayed _him_ , after all he’s done for you.”

“I don’t…” Howard squeaked. He turned from Maria and wiped his eyes. “Take him to the LA base, I’ll decide what to do, but not yet.”

Bucky smiled sadly at Howard. “You’ll do the right thing.”

Howard placed a hand on his hip. “God, I need to speak with Peggy.”

“We’re here for you.”

“Thank you.”

\--

Steve stared at Vanko long and hard. He was sitting in an interrogation room, the easiest place to put him for now. It meant they could keep a watchful eye on him without him knowing. Steve would rather that than putting him in a cell.

“He should be deported,” Sousa said, coming into the room. Steve smiled briefly at him, noting his new and improved mobility. He was using a walking stick rather than a crutch. Howard had been developing prosthetics for years now. Progress was being made, but perhaps not fast enough for an agent such as Sousa.

“Mm. We’ll see. The Soviet Union may not take kindly to that.”

“They took kindly to the information.” Sousa stopped beside Steve, giving him a _look_. “I did what you asked. My agents followed the line from probable buyers. Some of the information ended up with the KGB.”

“Perfect. Just what we needed.” Steve folded his arms as Vanko stared blankly at a wall. “At least we know his clearance only extended to the Unity Project and a couple others in connection with SHIELD. Nothing major, so we can’t be hurt too much by this.”

“But Stark was hurt by it. That’s why you have that fire in your eyes.”

“Yes… My friends are important to me. And Vanko did the worst thing possible…” Steve raised his eyebrows. “I care when people hurt them.”

“I understand. What do you think Howard will do?”

Steve sighed. “He’ll ask people he trusts for advice. I don’t doubt this will end with Vanko back with the Soviets.”

Sousa tilted his head. “Why?”

“Because it’s SHIELD protocol. And Howard is a Director.”

Bucky entered the interrogation room, a file in hand. “Mind if we talk?”

Vanko glared at him before setting his gaze back on the wall.

“I have a lot to say that you won’t like… I just got off the phone with Howard.”

Oh.

“And he’s made his decision.”

Oh…

Vanko sighed. “When do I leave?”

“When we’re done here. Then, Howard wants you at Stark Industries, to show you what you sacrificed.”

“For a good reason.”

“If it helps you sleep at night, keep telling yourself that lie.”

\--

Steve and Bucky were packing up, ready to head back to their home turf. This fiasco had spiralled into something much bigger than they realised. Vanko had sold secrets to the Soviet Union through the Black Market since the beginning of ’66. Small things at first, then more and more information on the partially constructed Arc Reactor. If that information got out and people were able to replicate it… It was a powerful technology that Howard hadn’t even managed to complete yet. It could wipe out all other energy resources, in favour of this one thing.

It was also dangerous and needed to be kept in the right hands, always.

Vanko had also admitted that he’d had doubts in 1964, so much so that he’d thought of betraying Howard all the way back then. When Howard spoke more of what they could achieve than the money that could be wasted.

Or the money they could make of it. Howard had always disagreed with that, much like the hovercars, he just wanted to see something awesome come to life. Be real and usable. Clean energy had been his baby since the early ‘50s and now it was in reach, someone had come to rip the spine out of it.

Howard had been upset and in shock over the whole thing. And Vanko, along with his wife, had been deported.

Steve and Bucky thought they’d left Howard in good hands, he needed support and Maria knew how to care for him. That was until Steve saw the stack of newspapers as he and Bucky were checking out. Just the sight of the headline made Steve want to throw up a little.

It read:

‘Stark Industries to go back into weapon manufacturing says CEO Howard Stark’.

“Howard’s not okay.” Steve said, picking up the paper and showing it to Bucky.

“Oh, shit.” Bucky smiled at the receptionist. “On second thought, can we book another night?”

“Of course, Sir.”

Once their accommodation was sorted and their stuff was back in their room, they sprinted down to their car. Steve dove into the driver’s seat while Bucky settled himself in the passenger, ensuring his seatbelt was tight. It wasn’t like Steve was a _bad_ driver, he was just very good at getting to a destination very quickly. The likelihood that Howard was at the office or lab right now was low, so Steve drove straight to his house, rushing through lights like a mad man and nearly flipped the car as he parked up.

They raced to the door, knocking on it a little too frantically. This wasn’t Howard, and Steve had a hell of a good idea on who could have been pulling the strings.

While it was true that Steve and Bucky would be there for Howard, they were the _only_ ones available to let him lay everything on them. Peggy was at Ragtag, doing some classified work. Angie was in New York, on Broadway. Jarvis was on leave with his wife. And Theo and Lee were at the Cube. For once, he was on his own. And if Steve hadn’t seen that newspaper… They needed to be there for their friend, like they had promised eons ago.

When the minutes passed and Howard hadn’t opened his door, Bucky swiftly lockpicked it and let them in. The sound of liquid pouring echoed from the kitchen. The two followed the sounds till they were met with Howard, sitting at his mini bar, a bottle of whiskey next to him, head in his hands.

“Howard…?” Bucky said, loud and clear. “Are you okay?”

“How did you get in?” He took a swig of his whiskey.

“Lockpicks.”

“Ah.”

“We saw the news…”

Howard twisted to see them, a sad smile plastered on his face. “It’s good, huh? Going back to weapons, it’s my true calling. I was stupid to think technology was where the money was at.”

“What are you doing? This isn’t you!” Steve half shouted, half whispered. He hadn’t seen Howard like this for a long time, not since 1945.

He launched off the stool, turning to them. “Of course it is! All I’ve ever been good at is destroying! Why did I even try to build?!” He threw his arms up and paced into the living room.

“We know Stane’s behind this. He’s the only one who has leeway with you and Stark Industries,” Bucky said, his voice bland and calm. Unlike Steve, who felt like he wanted to wring Howard’s neck for even thinking this was who he was.

“He’s right.”

“Don’t you realise what he’s doing?” Bucky squared his shoulders. “Stane is just like Vanko. He’s manipulating you, taking advantage of who you are, as a _person_.”

“Maybe this is who I’ve always been… Someone who is one weapon away from destroying the world, who could use my genius to benefit our own army. Win against the Soviets!”

“This is destroying you!” Steve shouted, he knew he shouldn’t, knew he should keep calm. Howard was falling apart. If Steve and Bucky weren’t there, he would have been left to breakdown on his own. And… it was very close to tearing down all the progress he’d made.

“Don’t…” Bucky’s voice broke, he shook himself off. “Don’t break your promise, Howard. We were supposed to stay true to ourselves.”

Howard stopped pacing, turning to Bucky. His eyes were wild. What happened with Vanko had been a great shock to him, and it was still so clear. “I… God, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Anton was supposed to be with me, he was my friend.”

“It’s our fault,” Steve said, hanging his head. “We should have noticed sooner, swayed him. Tried anything.”

“You did your jobs, that’s what counts. And I… I never knew who he really was.” Howard stumbled a little, barely keeping upright. “Now, I have to take credit for work that had someone else’s blood sweat and tears go into it…”

“Come on… this doesn’t mean you should rip his name from the project,” Bucky whispered. “Let it be a lesson learnt, an example to others.”

“I suppose I could suggest he helped on the project… He still sold secrets, there should be consequences for that.”

“Do this to starve off something worse. Deporting him was the consequence. If he becomes bitter and twisted, that’s on us for covering up all the good work he did do.”

“Fuck… this is a mess.”

Steve closed his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Howard.”

Howard slumped down on the couch. “You’re right… about Obadiah. He has been… pushy. He keeps talking about how this is a sign that I should go back into weapons, leave Stark Expo behind, leave the Arc Reactor behind…”

“The Arc Reactor is everything we ever talked about, it’s your baby. And the Expo is your _dream_. Don’t give it up because Stane wants you to change for his own benefit,” Bucky said, stern. Yet, Steve could see the passion for the future in his eyes. Weapons weren’t that, they’d never be the future.

“Think he could be a rat?”

“I think he’s dangerous.”

Howard scrubbed his face, wiping away tears in the same motion. “Obadiah has had my back over all these years.”

Steve sat on the couch opposite Howard. “Has he? You have to ask yourself these questions. You should be very suspicious of the guy who wants you to go back to inventing what you hate.”

“I want to trust him… I don’t want to believe that someone else would betray my trust.”

“Do you want us to scope him out?” Bucky asked. “We could keep watch on Stark Industries, just in case anyone else is untrustworthy.”

Howard stared at his hands for a second, fiddling. “Nah. I’ll handle Obadiah. No matter what anyone says, the Arc Reactor is the next step. All I’ve gotta do is get it to work.”

Steve gave a small smile. “I hope so, because that ten to fifteen-year prediction for clean energy is kinda up.”

“I have no idea if it’ll be cost-effective, it probably never will… but I know what I’m doing.” Howard’s eyes became distant. “And I know who’s on my side.”

“You ever need us to investigate someone, we’re only a call away.” Bucky folded his arms, as if to make his point.

“I know. And thank you… for being here now.”

“We made a promise to be there for you, and one of us always will be.”

Howard’s lips twitched upward slightly. “Whether it’s the original dramatic queer couple, the slightly weird but still funny queer couple or the scary queer couple.”

Steve barked a laugh. “Are you saying Peggy and Angie are scary?”

“Yes.”

“They’re not!”

“Are you suggesting you’re not scared of them?”

Steve thinned his lips. “It’s just Peggy and Angie.”

“To be fair,” Bucky began, sitting beside Steve, “they are scary if you’re on the wrong side of them.”

“Exactly!” Howard threw his arms up. “Thank you, Bucky.”

Steve chuckled, rolling his eyes. “If you say so.”

“We say so,” Howard and Bucky were quick to say.

Steve relaxed back on the couch as the conversation ebbed and flowed to easier, better discussions. A light shone from Howard as a happier demeanour was restored. But that didn’t mean he was okay or prepared to go face Stane yet. There were people using Howard and his company for their own gain, and there probably always would be. At least Howard had his friends to uplift him when he needed it.

For now, they supported him, through this difficult time.


	10. A Genius Was Born

Howard and Maria _finally_ got married in 1969. In the month of the moon landing too. Which inspired a moon themed wedding because Howard was an absolute nerd and because Maria had been so enthusiastic about the event that she squealed with excitement when anyone mentioned it.

So, it was a moon themed wedding. With a moon looking cake, and moon decorations and little embroidered moons on Maria’s dress.

It had been quite the magical event.

Steve remembered that before the marriage even took place, Howard introduced Maria to Steve and Bucky once again. But this time, they had been holding hands as she entered the room. It took her a few seconds to understand, but when she did, she hugged Steve and Bucky and thanked Howard for trusting her. Howard came out to her then, and she accepted him wholeheartedly. She wasn’t queer herself, but she accepted them all and that was more than enough.

Of course, after the wedding, nothing had been easy. As Maria was told by doctors that the likelihood that she would ever carry a pregnancy to full term was low. Mainly because of how old she was, even though she was eight years younger than Howard. Forty-five was hardly too old for a child, but the doctors were concerned anyhow. Though, that didn’t stop the couple.

By the time Maria was six months pregnant, Chester passed away in his sleep, when 1970 had barely begun. His funeral was one of great sadness, so many people attended. People who knew him in the war, SHIELD agents, friends. Steve had gotten to know Chester so well over the decades that his death felt like having something torn from him.

He got the whole military funeral shebang. All of the Invaders had been there, Peggy had continuously tried to stifle her tears, Howard laid a small SHIELD insignia on his coffin. Steve and Bucky were silent for much of the day. It was… strange to lose a friend, considering how much older he’d been compared to the rest of them.

He was bound to have gone first.

Still, it pained them all to lose him.

And when May came along, so did Howard and Maria’s child. Anthony Edward Stark. As all of them crowded the hospital room, it really highlighted how Anthony would be the odd one out. Ruth, Ben and Christopher were all approaching their twenties. Ruth was nineteen, Ben was seventeen and Christopher was sixteen. It was weird to think how many years had passed, how old all of them were getting. Compared to this baby Anthony.

It was crazier to think everyone was in their fifties or there about. The ‘70s would surely test them all in SHIELD now, and for Angie, in the movie industry. They weren’t young whippersnappers anymore. Well… apart from Steve and Bucky who were totally both still in their twenties.

Howard held Anthony close to his body. “This kid is gonna change the world.”

“What, like you have?” Peggy asked, folding her arms. Ruth copied the action with a smirk planted on her face.

“Exactly like him,” Maria chimed, her hands calmly resting on her covers. “Anthony will win.”

Bucky chuckled. “Didn’t know this was a competition.”

“It always has been.” Christopher tilted his head. The group was far more acquainted with Michael’s son these days than Michael himself. He still kept to his own corner, but Christopher was the exact opposite, begging to go to any family function. “Ruth is winning, but we’ll see.”

Steve had no idea there had been a rivalry between all the children. He did suppose Ruth would be in the lead as both Ben and Christopher were still in high school education while Ruth was at university studying politics. She was convinced she was going to end up as the first female president. Peggy was against it, saying it would put her in too much danger. It was a valid response, since presidents were more liable to assassinations, but Angie was actively encouraging it along with Theo and Lee.

Ben, on the other hand, wanted to become a journalist to tell all the stories that went under the radar. He knew he’d be putting himself in danger, but always reassured Peggy by saying she’d trained both him and Ruth from an early age to be stealthy, secretive and able to fight back. It didn’t quell any of Peggy’s fears, but she couldn’t stop her children from flying the nest either.

While Christopher wanted to own his own bakery, far away from any danger. He’d said there was too much of a chance of becoming like his father, shut in and scared of the world a little too much. So, he wanted a humble life.

Looking at tiny baby Anthony, Steve wondered what he would become.

Ruth grinned. “I will end up winning when I rule this shithole of a country.”

“Language!” Theo hissed. “You’re in the presence of a _baby_.”

Howard grinned. “He can’t hear you.”

Anthony gurgled, his arms flailing about.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Steve said, laughing as one of Anthony’s wild arms bopped Howard right on the nose.

Ben chuckled, getting out his notepad. “Looks like cousin Anthony likes to play.” He fished a pen out of his pocket. “Tell me, baby Anthony, does your father look a little tired?”

Anthony sniffled.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Howard huffed. “I’m not tired.”

“You look it,” Maria whispered. “Despite the fact that it was me who did all the work.”

A burst of laughter spread throughout the group as a disgruntled Howard stared at Maria. He tickled Anthony’s cheek before setting him in his cot. Maria smiled softly as Howard took a seat for the first time in hours.

Maria lifted her chin, her eyes hard as she stared at them all. “We’re both tired. Come to see us tomorrow?”

“We’ll be here,” Steve assured.

Lee shot him a cheeky grin. “Speak for yourself.”

Ruth slapped her dad’s wrist. “Listen to your boss.”

Angie shook her head, placing her hand at Ruth’s shoulder. “Yes, it’s time to go.”

Maria and Howard laughed as Angie carted Ruth out of the room. They filtered out slowly, to leave their friends and their son in peace.

\--

“What, you’re not going to be living in LA anymore?” Steve asked, shoving his hands into his pockets as Howard led them out to the balcony. While it was nice to be outside, seeing the view of New York, it was November, and the breeze was not entirely pleasant.

“We’re moving back, yes. I still think it’s best to keep the Arc Reactor there. To be fair, it took three years to build, never mind the extra year for the technology to be active.” Howard grinned spinning around to face Steve and Bucky. “Plus, we’ve finally managed to hook it up to the Headquarters. It purely runs off the Reactor now.”

“Will it be profitable?” Bucky wondered. That had been the reason why Stane had gotten his underwear in a twist, and why Vanko had sold secrets in the first place.

“The idea of it ending up as a clean energy source for cars, making _them_ easier to produce without the worry of fuel is what’s bringing the investors in.” Howard sighed. “Climate Change seems to be a real problem though; the Arc Reactor _cannot_ fail.”

“Do you still think there’s more to it?”

“Yes, and I hope to develop that with Tony one day.” He pursed his lips. “It’s dangerous to suggest the Arc Reactor is only the first stage. But with Stane long out of the way and you two having my six, I’m gonna pursue it when the technology is available.”

Steve smiled, clapping Howard on the arm. “Glad to hear it.”

Howard grinned; Steve’s words had definitely boosted his ego. “Besides, LA will never be New York. I missed it. I wanna raise my son where I was raised, you know?”

“Who wouldn’t? New York’s a nice place.”

“You’re biased, Rogers.”

“Maybe I am.”

“Now, now, Master Stark,” Jarvis muttered as Tony struggled to crawl out to the balcony.

Howard turned and chuckled softly. “Leave him, Jarvis. I’ve got it from here.”

Jarvis grinned. “Of course, Sir.”

“And what have I told you about this ‘sir’ business?” Howard said, picking Tony up.

“No matter how many times you say it, _Sir_ , I will not stop calling you sir.” Jarvis lightly clenched his fists, standing as tall as could be.

Howard scoffed. “Fine, fine. Take the rest of the day off, Ana will be missing you.”

Jarvis’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Sir.”

Steve witnessed Howard try to suppress a sigh at that, which he ultimately failed. Jarvis heard as he began walking out, throwing an amused look over his shoulder. Howard and Jarvis were great old friends, but their dynamic was weird, with Jarvis still acting as if he were a mere butler and Howard desperately wanting Jarvis to stop calling him Sir. Steve supposed it couldn’t be helped, since Jarvis was such an upstanding fella.

“Aw, who’s so cute?” Bucky said, giving Tony a little tickle. He bubbled happily in response.

Howard beamed. “I can’t believe he’s eighteen months old already.”

“Where has the time gone?”

“Time goes quickly these days,” Steve said. “We must be getting old.”

“Old.” Howard scoffed. “Me? I’m old. You two?”

Bucky chuckled. “It’s still hard to believe. We’ll probably be around when Tony’s old.”

“Don’t say that, you’ll make my head hurt.” Howard turned, settling Tony more securely on his hip. “Let’s get Tony back inside before he freezes.”

“Poor little one, too small for basic homoeostasis.”

Steve furrowed his brow. “Bucky… Are you alright?”

“Look, Steve, I like being a good uncle to the children.”

Howard smiled, walking fast to get Tony back inside. “Easier to care for them than have them.”

“This way, they’ll always be cute. Don’t have to deal with any of the awkward phases.”

“Ha. I’m sure.”

They got back inside, and Howard took them into one of the living rooms, where more toys were present on the carpet than Steve had ever seen. Ones for teething, puzzles and little figures too. Tony crawled over to one of the puzzles and instead of fitting triangles into their respective hole, he began to build structures that utilised both the squares and the triangles.

“I think he might turn out clever,” Howard mused, sitting down on a couch. Steve and Bucky sat next to him, tilting their heads at Howard’s statement. “Other kids his age don’t do this sort of thing.”

Steve hummed. “Ah, right.”

“Will either of you have kids? I know you have plenty in your lives. Ruth, Ben, Chris, Tony… Your sister’s children, Bucky.”

Bucky settled his hand over Steve’s, glancing at him for a moment. “We decided in the ‘50s that we wouldn’t want a fake marriage to have kids. When you told us we don’t age, we made our decision to never have children then…”

Steve frowned, holding Bucky’s hand tightly. It had been a hard decision to make, but it was an easy one when they considered their own feelings. “We don’t want to risk having children, only to see them grow old and die while we stay young.”

Howard sighed, his eyes set on Tony. “I suppose there’s always a chance a parent can lose a child… But outliving them while you yourself don’t age… that’s scary. I understand.”

“In another world, maybe we would have adopted. There’s too many variables, unfortunately.”

“Variables like Project Reclamation?”

Steve rubbed his palms together. “Yeah. Stoner completed the Lighthouse. He used some of your advanced projection technology to record messages… I doubt it’ll ever be used now; we don’t have to worry about the end of the world anymore.”

“I was thinking we should move the Monoliths there.” Howard twisted his mouth. “I’m still no closer to figuring a way to destroy them.”

“What about Slingshot?” Bucky asked. “Would that not work?”

“There’s no guarantee they would be destroyed in the sun. Plus, their liquid capabilities could possibly consume it, you know? I’m not sure it’s worth the risk.”

“That’s a fair point. So, the Lighthouse it is then.”

“Unless you want to take them to the Fridge?”

“Nah…” Steve mulled over it for a moment. “If the Lighthouse will never be used, then let’s pretend it doesn’t exist and put some of the dangerous artifacts there. Just to spread them out.”

Howard nodded. “Sounds good.” His eyes landed on Tony again, who had moved on to taking apart his model car, examining the details on the hover equipment. “We must protect the world, for the generations to come.”

\--

Steve _hated_ artifact missions. It always meant someone had died, or something horrible had happened. It meant leaving their friends to possibly go die. Leaving their nieces and nephews, leaving Bucky’s family as if they all never existed. Because this was an artifact, dangerous and life threatening. Containing the thing would be hard.

On the plus side, it was a familiar type of artifact this time. Hidden in a castle, in a room that vibrated. Their agents in the Manchester base had alerted them. Steve was glad they’d persuaded Peggy to put a secret base in England, far enough away from London that MI6 wouldn’t notice but close enough to a major city to catch what was going on.

So, they were heading to Gloucestershire in a swanky Hillman Avenger. Its colour was certainly eye-catching but was more of an eyesore, though, most cars were like that nowadays. The golden age of good-looking cars seemed to be over with the newest releases. Still, it wasn’t like the Hillman Avenger _wasn’t_ nice. It just wasn’t as nice as their car in LA, or New York, or in Philadelphia. Nevertheless, it would do.

They parked up on the last bit of road before the castle. It did have a dirt track leading up to it, but the two wanted to have a little more stealth than that. They weren’t the first agents to investigate the place, but they were certainly the first high level agents on the sight. This was their area of expertise after all. Apart from anti-corruption, this was _their_ department.

The castle was crumbling in places, but certainly still looked to be in good nick. The last person who’d bought this had certainly started some of the work. Shame he’d never get to finish it… As soon as they got the artifact out, a new person could have a go. For now, this whole area was pretty much cut off from the rest of the world.

They snuck into the place, on guard, and maybe a little scared. The last time they’d recovered an artifact like this, they lost an agent. They were on the ball, so much so that when they heard a clatter of stone, both immediately withdrew their guns and aimed towards the noise. There were a couple of footsteps before… Holy shit.

“Monty?!” Steve exclaimed, disbelieving. Both he and Bucky lowered their guns.

He gave them an easy grin. “Steve, Bucky! Would you believe it? Small intelligence world, isn’t it?”

“Still MI6?”

“Perhaps…” He winked twice (which confirmed it) and smiled. “I’ve been working with SHIELD lately, our cases crossed.”

“The artifact?” Bucky asked, looking over his shoulder. Nobody else seemed to be there, they weren’t going to be interrupted.

“I know I’m not supposed to be here but… this isn’t SHIELD’s turf. This disused castle…”

“You know what’s here?”

“I know a millionaire bought it in an auction. The neighbours were calling it a blemish on this great country, so the council put it up for sale.”

“Yeah.” Steve hummed, gesturing for Monty to continue.

“The millionaire discovered Hebrew marked into the walls and found a room with a tall monolith in it. He called the authorities and they investigated the room only for the floor to vibrate, and the Monolith took the guy as well as a couple officers. Just… disappeared.” Monty eyed them both. “MI6 wants it, but your people claim it’s SHIELD’s because you have others.”

“Mm, unfortunately, we can’t discuss that with you.” Steve folded his arms.

Monty gestured to them both. “Do you know everything there is to know about SHIELD?”

Bucky shrugged. “That’s classified.”

“Because… last I heard, you two are part of the five founders of SHIELD. So… you’d know.” Monty scowled. “The Monolith, what is it?”

Steve sighed, this was Monty. And MI6 weren’t enemies to SHIELD, but then, when it came to spies, wasn’t everyone an enemy? “Big stones that can make people disappear. That’s all _you_ need to know, it’s all _we_ need to know.”

“When we find a way to destroy them, we will,” Bucky assured. “Because if there’s one thing Steve and I do at SHIELD, it’s keeping everyone in order when it comes to objects like these.”

Monty glanced between them. “I suspect you do much more than that.”

“I suppose we do.”

Steve stepped further into the castle. “Do you know where the room is?”

“Yes, and I’m not going to touch it with a ten-inch pole.” Monty gestured for them to follow him, and slowly, they meandered through the castle until they were met with Hebrew markings covering the stone in one room. It looked as if it belonged to a damn cult.

Which… well, it clearly did, once.

There was a sealed door and a scattering of sand at the entrance. Whoever had once stood there had been sucked up by the Monolith and would likely never be seen again. Bucky approached slowly, ignoring Steve’s move to catch his arm and pull him far away from the door. He plucked a vial from his pocket and a swab, sweeping the sand into the bottle and delicately placing the lid back on as he backed away.

“Why did you bring that with you?” Steve asked, furrowing his brow. It wasn’t like Bucky to carry equipment like that with him. They normally left it to their agents. Although… this was a monolith and any insight was greatly appreciated.

“In case there had been blood or… I don’t know. Howard can analyse the sand. This might be the portal, who knows.”

Monty hummed, watching them with a careful eye. “Howard’s still a friend to you then.”

Bucky smiled, tucking the vial into his pocket. “We’re kinda family nowadays.”

“I miss when we were like that.” Monty scanned the walls around them, as if he was looking for something. “People change, move on with their lives, I suppose.”

“You’ll always be family,” Steve said. Because the Invaders _would_ be, forever. Sure, they only met up a few times a year but that was because they were all extremely busy people.

Gabe had his teenage daughter, Donzaleigh, who was the reason for him now working a desk job with admin. Or how Jim was much the same with his children, particularly how he’d stopped doing undercover once his youngest son was born. He mainly stuck to training new agents in the Academy of Communications now.

Meanwhile, Dum Dum was assisting the CIA a lot these days, with the aim to end the Cold War one way or another. Jacques had never gotten back into fighting, living a still peaceful life with his fruit and wife – they’d never had children. And Monty… well, he’d always been too focused on the job, like Dum Dum, to settle down.

Monty thinned his lips. “I hope that’s the case… I’m not jealous but–”

“You’re jealous,” Bucky cut in, finishing Monty’s sentence for him. “It’s understandable. We were a close-knit group till the end of the war. We might only see each other on birthdays but that’s better than nothing.” He leant closer to Monty, smirking. “Plus, you’re the one who ditched us for British intelligence.”

Monty shoved Bucky’s shoulder, chuckling. “True, but I make a good contact.”

“You absolutely do,” Steve said, enjoying the friendly banter that had settled over them. He turned to the door, nevertheless, they had to get back to business. “Now we know where it’s stored and how, we can get our team down here to extract it safely.”

“So, SHIELD comes in and saves the day again.”

Steve folded his arms. “It isn’t MI6’s.”

“Oh, I know.” Monty sighed. “You seem to know what you’re doing and I’d rather it be as far away from Britain as possible.”

“But you’ll still have to explain to your bosses why you came back empty handed,” Bucky said, causing Monty to raise his eyebrows before nodding.

“I’ll just explain that SHIELD had already taken over the place like moths to a flame. And that if I’d infiltrated this place, I’d have risked being either shot or consumed by the Monolith.”

“Sounds good. I’m sure your bosses won’t mind.” Bucky smiled. “We know MI6 has its own artifacts.”

Monty furrowed his brow. “I never told you that.”

“We have other contacts and ways of knowing these things.” Steve stifled a laugh at Monty’s further confused expression, as if he forgot who Steve and Bucky were now. “We’re spies too, you know. And this is our forte.”

“Artifacts?”

“You never wondered why Directors of SHIELD are here instead of mere agents?”

“Oh…”

“Yeah.” Steve pulled his radio from his pocket. “Bring the team in, it’s contained within a room and as safe as it can be.”

“Roger that, Sir,” a voice crackled through the radio.

He pocketed it again, smiling and raising an eyebrow at Monty.

“Okay… That was weird.” He frowned, one hand resting on his chest. Shock, maybe. “There’s no hint of the ‘Captain America’ voice you used to pull.”

“You know, as well as anyone, that Captain America hasn’t been around since March 1945.”

“So, what’s that kind of voice now?”

Steve smiled, feeling pride bloom in his chest. “A voice of a Director of SHIELD.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, chuckling softly. “Drama queen.”

\--

It had been a long time since Bucky had walked the familiar path up to his parents’ house. The two of them visited at Christmas time, or Thanksgiving or even Easter if Winifred got particularly pushy. But this time, they had contacted Bucky directly, asking for him to visit as soon as he possibly could. It was strange, though, since they’d sent a letter rather than called. And considering it was May, no birthday was coming up for any of the family.

So, Bucky had been a little paranoid over why they’d been asked there. Steve knew he was worried over his parents possibly knowing he was in a relationship with Steve. But the reasoning against that was, no one knew in his family, not his sisters, not his parents. Their friends were tight lipped about this sort of thing, it couldn’t have worked its way back to them.

Still, they’d called Bucky and Steve here for some reason.

“I’m scared,” Bucky whispered as they walked up the steps.

“I know, sweet. It’s gonna be okay.” Steve left a fleeting touch on Bucky’s back.

Then, the door opened and… Becca was there, her face stained with tears. Looked like she’d been crying for a long, long time. Mable was slightly behind her, yet she wasn’t crying, instead she was cradling a book in her arms. A photo album. Oh… Oh, god.

Bucky fell back a step and Steve had to reach out and steady him, to stop him from falling. They both knew what had happened, they were experts in body language, in grief… Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky, keeping him upright.

“Who?” Bucky asked, his voice thin and haunted.

“Ma…” Becca eked out. “Pa…” Her face was red with her crying, the tears had created a watery mess as they clung to her features.

Bucky’s bottom lip quivered, and Steve couldn’t stop himself from pulling him into a hug. Bucky hung on tightly, and from their angle, rested his chin on Steve’s shoulder, likely looking at Becca. He was silent for a long while, tears were falling onto Steve’s jacket. “No. No…? No, how, why, how?”

“Cancer,” Mable whispered, there was a footstep upon the stone. “They didn’t want to tell you…”

Bucky pulled away from Steve, practically sprinting up the final step to stare at both Becca and Mable. “Why the fuck not?!”

“Bucky,” Charlotte said, in a firm, warning tone. “You have a life that has extended from us for years… You rarely visit, despite having a home here.”

Steve widened his eyes at that. Few people knew of their apartment in Brooklyn. Bucky had kept a lot of secrets from his family, even his job. They thought he was living in LA, working for Stark Industries.

Charlotte glanced to the both of them. “Yeah, I know about that… It’s far from the point though.” She sighed. Out of the three sisters, she was the most put together. Mable was timid, which was a first. Becca was half destroyed, but she’d been very close to Winifred. “Ma and Pa wanted to see you when they realised their days were growing short… That was why they sent the letter, because they didn’t have the energy to talk on the phone.”

Bucky sucked in a breath. “We got the first flight here.”

“It was all too late…” Charlotte wrapped her arms around herself. So, the bold had become defensive. “They passed away this morning.”

Turning, Bucky walked down a step, back up a step, down again and straight into Steve’s arms. “I can’t believe it...”

Steve rubbed circles into Bucky’s back. “I know, Buck. God…” He turned his head, as close to his ear as he could be and whispered, “you’ll get through this.”

“Both of them? At once?” Bucky murmured back.

Mable cleared her throat. “People are looking, we should get inside.”

Bucky reluctantly backed away from Steve and they all, with sombre steps, got back inside. Charlotte disappeared into the kitchen as the rest of them went into the living room. Becca was still in tears, more silent now. And Mable sat in an armchair… Winifred’s chair, and opened the photo album. Bucky collapsed down by the fireplace, toying with the edge of the rug like he used to do when they were kids…

Steve sat next to him, leaning into his side. While he had been distanced from them ever since the war, Winifred and George Barnes had always looked after Steve. They had been as much his family as anyone else in the room right now…

Charlotte returned with mugs, setting one down next to each and every one of them. It was coffee, perfectly blended but just… bitter somehow. Grief was something Steve was acquainted to, but none of the Barnes siblings had experienced the death of a parent before, it was different to normal grief.

“The undertaker will be here soon,” Charlotte whispered as she settled on the couch.

“They’re still here?” Bucky asked. His voice was too quiet, too sad. It stabbed at Steve’s heart. All he wanted to do was wrap Bucky up and hold him, but he wasn’t sure it would be entirely welcome.

“Yes…”

“I should have been here.”

Becca shook her head fiercely. “You did your best to get here. They’re the ones who didn’t contact you.”

“They wanted to protect you, I guess.” Mable’s tone was distant, foreign to the happy one Steve was used to. “Out of all of us, they wanted to protect the person who had already lost so much.”

“I haven’t lost that much.”

“Your innocence,” the three echoed.

Charlotte pursed her lips. “Ma said you were never the same and we could never bring you back. The last thing she wanted was for you to be at her bedside, watching her die. She was so sure it would finally break you.”

“You don’t look broken, so–” Becca said, wiping her face. Her crying had ceased now.

“I’ve watched many people die in varying contexts.” Bucky stared down into his coffee. “I would have liked to say goodbye.”

Mable closed the photo album. “Yeah… well, they were selfish. You didn’t need protecting, not from this.” She closed her eyes briefly. “Didn’t want to hurt their son…”

“Ma talked about you a lot, yesterday…” Becca swallowed thickly. “She said she hoped you were happy, and that she wished her aging genes were as good as yours.”

That was another thing. Because Bucky kept himself and his life so secret, he’d never told his family about his serum or the lack of aging out of fear. He never wanted to worry them, especially not his parents. But they must have suspected something was amiss.

“Yeah… about that.” Bucky drained his coffee and pushed his toes under the rug. Another habit of his from his childhood. “I have a similar serum to Steve and… I don’t age.”

The sadness of the room seemed like it burst into flames at that statement. The three sisters looked hurt and betrayed and distraught. Becca began crying again, Mable sunk into the chair and Charlotte scoffed.

“I suppose same goes for Steve?” Mable asked.

“Yeah,” Steve whispered, feeling a little intimidated by the sisters.

Becca huffed a wet laugh. “This day just keeps getting better.”

“I’ll explain more another time but… not today,” Bucky said. “Just, not today.”

“Okay. Not today,” Becca agreed.

The next few days were spent arranging the funeral. Bucky covered the costs of it, and when he was questioned about it, he merely said he had a _very_ good job. Telling them about how he was a spy was a step too far, and Steve understood that. They got the best coffins to honour their parents, they bought their favourite flowers, they got them a small plot at the cemetery, near enough to their grandparents. The land was big enough for several graves, Charlotte said they’d all end up there one day.

When the day of the funeral came, Steve had to force Bucky up. Their relationship had been a little strained with Bucky’s grief. He was angrier than normal, so wrapped up in his own bubble. But deep down, Steve knew Bucky was scared. It was like he was twenty and innocent again, instead of fifty-seven years old. Steve helped to get him dressed, had to near force him to get one bite of toast down and got him piled into their car. For the first time in a long time, Steve had to drive.

“I’m sorry, Buck…” he said once they got to the cemetery. Bucky had only spoken a few words so far, he was distant.

But now… now he was animated. His eyes welled up. “I never got to say goodbye… I just… feel robbed.”

Steve reached over and gripped Bucky’s shoulder. “I’m here for you, whatever you need.”

“I know, Stevie.” He rested his head back. “Thank you, for being patient with me.”

“You did it for me once.”

“Yeah…”

The funeral went as smoothly as possible. It was quite a religious affair and plenty of friends and family had turned up. Winifred and George had been well loved in the community, always had been. They wouldn’t be forgotten any time soon. Speeches were made. Becca spoke for the family, as no one else had the bottle to. Especially not Bucky, who had been silently crying for the last five minutes or so. And when Becca mentioned some happy memories, he only cried more. Steve wrapped an arm around him, passing off as much comfort as he could in public.

They migrated outside and their coffins were sent into the ground, the last prayers being said. People filtered away as the minutes ticked on and everyone said their own farewell. Until only Bucky, his sisters and Steve were left.

“They were good people,” Charlotte said. “Lived long lives. It was all we could have wished for.”

“Yeah,” Bucky murmured. “We had them for a long time.”

“Who wants a drink?” Mable’s eyes scanned the group. “I have whiskey.”

Bucky scoffed, amused yet laced with sadness. “Sounds good.”

Steve kept his arm wrapped around Bucky as they all began walking away from the graves. Bucky leant into him as they walked, his arm coming around his waist. A dangerous position out in public but needed for such a day.

\--

“‘Finally, Howard Stark has solved the problems of our planet. However, is it possible for his ground-breaking technology to become widespread, or will it fail due to the expenses? Well, this is Stark we’re talking about. Hovercars were once thought impossible but now we refer to hovercars as cars and any tire bearing vehicle as ‘classic’.’ Huh, this person seems to like you,” Bucky said, smacking the science magazine down onto the kitchen island.

Howard smiled, pouring a strawberry smoothie into three glasses. “At last! A journalist that does.”

Steve took the magazine, skimming over the words. “When did you say Peggy and Angie were coming?”

“Tomorrow now.” Howard rolled his eyes, passing a glass to Steve, then Bucky. “Angie had to go back to the studio. They wanted to redo a scene, then she’s done.”

“Good, it’s been a little while.”

“No?” Bucky tilted his head. “We’re within three months.”

“That’s why I said it’s been a little while.”

“You make it seem like we haven’t seen them in six months or something.”

“Buck.”

“Oh my _god_ ,” Howard said, exasperated. “Drama queens, both of you. Stop it.”

Steve shrugged, reading over the paragraph where the journalist mentioned how desperately they needed clean energy. “Wow, this journalist really does believe. She’s really progressive.”

Howard reached out for the magazine, taking it into his hands. “Climate Change, the evolution of the energy sector, the rejection of technology for profit and full support of the Arc Reactor.” He grinned, slapping the paper down. “ _See_?! I told you making it public was a brilliant decision.”

“Hey,” Bucky said, plucking a straw from the bowl. (Howard kept them there for Tony, but hey ho). He stuck it into his smoothie, taking a sip. “We only wanted to make sure you were doing it for the right reasons.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think both of you are paranoid assholes.”

“Oh, we’re definitely assssss– Oh, hey Tony.”

“It’s fine,” Tony said, cradling something in his arms as he came further into the kitchen. “I heard my dad say the word first.”

Howard got another glass and tipped half of his smoothie into it. “Here, Tony, want a smoothie?”

Tony lit up. “Yeah!”

Howard rounded the island and crouched by Tony, offering the glass to him. Tony made no movement to get it, too interested in keeping whatever was in his hands, in his hands. “What have you got there?”

Tony set it on the ground, taking the glass from Howard and gulping half of it down.

“Whoa, careful there, pumpkin.”

“Just thirsty, Dad.” He placed the glass down and crouched by his toy? It was a model of a car; the same one he’d had since he was a baby. Except, it had been modified. It had a small button on one of the hover arches. He pressed it and stood back as the little car, no bigger than a money box, began to hover in the air.

Howard looked to him with wide eyes, a slight upturn of his lips and a furrowed brow. “Tony… How did you manage to miniaturise the gravitic reversion technology?”

Tony smiled up at his dad. “I took apart a big one.”

“First engines, now this?” Howard ruffled Tony’s hair. “You’ll be helping me on my own projects before long.”

“I’d like that, Dad. But your work is classified…” Tony frowned. “So, I can’t.”

“I’m sure the agents wouldn’t mind a leader of our organisation bringing in his very smart son,” Bucky said, slipping off his stool. He approached Tony and kneeled on the ground, observing the hovering toy. Steve smiled as Bucky carefully looked it over.

“You think?” Howard asked.

“Maybe wait till he’s ten.” His eyes landed on Tony. “Do you think you could wait till then?”

Tony grinned. “Of course I can, Uncle Bucky!”

Howard shook his head, clearly amused. “I can’t wait to work with you, pumpkin.”

Tony walked forward and wrapped his small arms around his dad, hugging him so innocently, it almost made Steve tear up. It was just the softness of it all. Howard had always worried about being a father, but here he was, doing an amazing job.

As Tony backed away, grinning up at Howard – who was now absolutely crying – he nudged his car, sending it a couple inches to the side. Bucky lit up, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. Steve stifled a laugh, biting his lip to stop himself. It was so entertaining watching this dynamic unfold.

“Can I touch it?” Bucky asked, pointing to the toy.

“Go ahead, Uncle Bucky. It’s not delicate.”

Like an excited child, Bucky crawled over to the toy, poking it. The car flew to the side, spinning in a small circle. If anything, this only made Bucky all the more curious. Steve couldn’t help but laugh now, earning a glare from Bucky.

“You’re so cute, Buck,” Steve said as his breath hitched in small laughs.

Bucky rolled his eyes, pushing the car further away. “I’m leaving. M’not cute.”

Tony giggled. “Uncle Buck! Come back!” He darted across the hallway as Bucky slid across the floor, taking the car with him.

“Never!” Bucky gave the car a hefty push, sliding after it.


	11. Old Foes

“Gay Related Immune Deficiency. They’re really calling it _that._ ” Steve was angrier than he probably ever had been before. Ever since 1978, Steve, Bucky and Howard had been attending a group of about fifty people. They talked about queer issues as well as helping out with a gay magazine. Not to mention helping out in organising marches. It had been great until…

Until… ten of the members died in the space of six months. Wasting away to nothing, dying slow. Their immune systems failing.

Which was how Steve and Bucky ended up at Howard’s mansion more often than not, crying about another lost friend. This time, however, it had been the most recent news and Steve’s rage that had brought them there.

Howard approached Steve, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Getting angry won’t help.”

“The government see this as a good thing, Howard! Wiping out the gays! Just like god would want!” Steve brushed a hand through his hair. “Except, we know fine well being gay, bisexual, whatever, is natural because the serum didn’t fix it!”

Bucky came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Steve, placing his palms flat against his chest. “Breathe for me. Just breathe.”

Steve closed his eyes and followed Bucky’s breathing. Trust him to be the one to calm him down. “It can’t only be gay men… That wouldn’t make any sense.”

“There is nothing to suggest that could even be possible,” Howard said. “I was reading up on some reports from last year. There is evidence to suggest it’s not just gay men.”

“Will you do research into it, like you said?” Bucky asked.

“I’ve already donated two million dollars to the only people who care about curing this disease.” Howard ducked his head. “It’ll take some persuading, but I think I can get the board on side to develop technology along with the research teams. We’ll get a cure before it gets out of hand.”

Steve sucked in a breath. “You believe that?”

“We’ve already lost ten of our friends, I don’t wanna lose any more.”

Tony came into the room, a small smile on his face. He was twelve now… How time flew. It flew even faster in hard times, though. “Dad–”

“Tony, please, not now…”

“The disease you keep talking about,” Tony paused as the three of them looked to him, confused, “I read the papers, you know.” He shook his head. “Anyway, I was digging into ten different biology books on diseases and read all the reports I could find on A.I.D.” Steve smiled slightly at the use of the better term. “I think I understand it… I don’t have any proof–”

“Well, what is it?” Howard asked frantically. Excitedly?

“It’s affecting the immune system, right?”

“Yes?”

“So, what controls the antibodies that get sent out? B-cells and T-cells.”

Howard tilted his head. “Are you suggesting that the disease may be a virus?”

“Yes. I’m also suggesting it’s either replicating in B-cells or T-cells. If enough of one is destroyed, antibody production will be affected so much that the immune system would be liable to any disease because it’s so weak.”

“Causing all people to die slowly as their immune system degrades more and more,” Steve said, slowly. Processing the information.

“Exactly!” Tony smiled briefly before frowning and shaking himself. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be so excited… It’s still horrible, all of this.”

Bucky backed away from Steve and approached Tony. “It’s alright to get excited, because if you’re right, Tony… Then you can take steps to fix this sooner rather than later.”

“That’s what I thought.” He twisted his mouth. “But I’m only twelve, I can hardly help.”

“Remember when you designed that hover toy when you were six?” Howard said, placing his hand on Tony’s shoulder.

“Yes?”

“You are clever enough to be needed now, for something this important.” He hunched down slightly, getting to eye-level with Tony. “But only if you’re absolutely sure you want to do this.”

“I do, Dad. People are dying, and I can help to do something about it.” He glanced to Steve, then Bucky, then back to his dad. “Also, it’s hurting you, uncle Buck and uncle Steve. I don’t want you to be sad.”

“We’re okay, pumpkin.” Howard smiled softly, ruffling Tony’s hair. “What do you think, Tony, of me opening a centre for the sick, maybe we can use it as a research facility too.”

“You didn’t tell us about that,” Bucky said.

“Well, I wasn’t sure, until just now.”

Steve hugged Howard, feeling his admiration for the man grow. As such a public figure, it was dangerous for him to be vocal about it. Even with homosexuality being legal for two years now in New York, Steve still felt an urge to argue against Howard doing something so publicly. Though, Howard knew what he was doing, and Steve had to trust that.

They were in the middle of a crisis with some of their good friends dying, if Howard wanted to help stop this getting any worse with Tony’s assistance, he couldn’t stop them. He was just glad the world had them.

As Steve backed out of the hug, Howard’s eyes had welled up a little. “What’s wrong, Howard?”

“It’s just…” Howard rubbed his eyes. “It’s good to know I have your support.”

“You always have.”

“Ha, I’m not so sure _that’s_ true.”

Tony tugged on Howard’s arm. “I have a whole board of information and my theories if you want to see.”

Bucky pressed his lips into a thin line. “Can we all see?”

“Yeah.”

Howard gestured for Tony to lead the way. “Show us, pumpkin.”

\--

Tony’s research paved the way for scientists at the CDC to focus on his theories… which turned out to be right. It was the helper t-cells specifically that the virus, coined HIV, was targeting. People had been sceptical of Howard bringing his young son into such a role, but Tony had excelled, constantly quelling fears and misconceptions about the disease. No, touching someone didn’t mean you’d get it. No, it wasn’t a gay man only thing. Yes, it was sexually transmitted, as well as being passed via dirty needles and infected blood.

And yes, some people complained about a thirteen-year-old saying the words ‘sexually transmitted’ but they lived in one hell of a conservative world.

Steve commended Howard and Tony for being brave and bold all the time. And by the end of 1983, Howard had come out to the world. Maria had supported him through the hellfire that was brought on him, but he was a billionaire these days, the world, the board of his company, they couldn’t touch him. They especially couldn’t touch him because Steve would throw down with anyone who tried. Bigotry was not to be tolerated.

Of course, with all the good progress that was being made with finding a cure for AIDS, progress was also being made into the latest anti-corruption case. There was a level 8 agent, always more interested in peace than fighting, but was in SHIELD for the greater good. Or, that was what his files said. He was stationed at the Headquarters in New York and had been flagged up by a student from the Communications Academy, who had a brief placement at the Headquarters.

The student was convinced, with all he knew of SHIELD, that this high-level agent was dodgy. His basis for his suspicions? A call he’d overheard where the agent mentioned HYDRA. Now, this student seemed to know as much as Steve and Bucky did that, _no one_ talked about HYDRA. Not out of courtesy or anything, just that it was hardly remembered. When Captain America faded out, so did his fiercest foe. Only true fans would remember kinda thing. HYDRA had been laid to rest with the Tesseract, it had been a conscious decision.

So, there Steve and Bucky were, at the Cube, swamped in files about Alexander Pierce. As it turned out, he was going through the motions of becoming the Undersecretary of the World Security Council. Recommended by Peggy herself. Of course, nobody could escape their six-monthly assessment but, if the student’s suspicions had been correct, Pierce had managed to lie his way through it.

Maybe they needed more targeted questions, better technology in the lie detector.

This was the part of the job where it wasn’t catching it at the start but nipping it in the bud when they uncovered it.

“Oh shit,” Bucky whispered, handing Steve a file that looked much older than the ones which sat around them. “His father had changed his name.”

Steve looked over the file. “Frank Pierce… used to be Franze Protz?” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck. We need to get to him immediately. He poses too high a risk.”

Bucky stood, shaking his head. “Why did we trust anyone? We should have gotten rid of them all.” He stepped over the files and walked out of the office.

Steve, meanwhile, stared down at the file. Protz… Nothing but a soldier in a cog, a man of regrets. Well, if that turned out to be a lie… Would they consider going back to kill someone in their seventies now? It would be impossible to say, because words could do the same amount of damage as actions.

He got up and left the room, scanning over the office to find Bucky by the water fountain, pacing. Steve briefly looked over the agents as he headed over to Bucky. They had the latest technology Howard had to offer regarding computers. No typewriter existed in the Cube anymore. Times were changing, and with that, so would their work. But this… had managed to slip past them regardless.

“Hey, Buck,” Steve murmured as he stopped beside him.

Bucky looked to him and deflated. “I can’t believe it…”

“We have to get Pierce before we know for sure.”

“Yeah…”

Steve grasped his upper arm, hopefully a comforting gesture, but one that would not distract the agents. “Let’s go get the bastard, okay?”

Bucky’s eyes slipped into a familiar hardness. “Okay, let’s go.”

They were out of the Cube and in New York within the day. They had no time to stop, and didn’t do more than unlock their apartment to throw their bags inside before leaving again. They drove quick – a little too quick – to the Headquarters and parked up as swiftly as possible. They rushed through the parking garage and into the elevator up, calming slightly from their pace.

When they got to reception, Steve pulled out his ID card and smirked as the receptionist fumbled and attended to Steve’s request for Pierce’s location. Luckily, he was in the building. In his own office. He had an office, of course he did. Because if there were corrupt people, there were offices to their names.

Most knew the directors when they saw them, but even more so, they knew when someone was anti-corruption. Their department dressed casually, in a way that would allow for comfortable combat if anything went wrong. All agents on their team wore bulletproof vests under their clothes, at all times. So, people could tell if they knew what to look for.

Once they were in the elevator, people came in and out as it rose up the floors, till Peggy came in. She stood tall and inclined her head at the two. This was a place she worked at more often now, as Ragtag became more classified, more secret as items of interest piled up. Her home was still in LA, however.

“Why are you here?” Peggy asked, her tone a little accusatory. She could never admit people within SHIELD could become corrupt, but she wasn’t anti-corruption. She hadn’t seen what they’d seen.

“Alexander Pierce, the man you thought would make a good Undersecretary,” Steve said, as a way of explaining without explaining.

Peggy tilted her head. “What about him?”

Bucky folded his hands in front of him, staring at the doors. “We believe he’s as corrupt as water is wet.”

“But– No. Come on, he’s…”

“Brilliant? Tactful? Peaceful? He’s trustworthy?” Bucky scoffed. “A student who had a placement here flagged him up. We have good reason to believe he’s right.”

“What student? Anyone I’d know?”

“Phil Coulson. He was recruited by Nicholas J Fury?”

“Oh, Fury. I know him.” Peggy twisted her mouth. “Dum Dum recommended him, he was CIA. If Coulson managed to spot something you two hadn’t, then Fury knows what to look for in an agent. That’s reassuring.”

Bucky nodded curtly. “We might as well keep Coulson on our radar. Fury too. They seem like they could be great assets to SHIELD.”

“What’s your ‘good reason’?”

Steve squared his shoulders, hardly believing what he was going to say. “We think Pierce is no normal rat. He could be a part of something bigger. Like HYDRA.”

“ _Like_ HYDRA…?” Peggy’s tone was nothing short of horrified. It was how Steve felt, if he was being honest. “Or, _is_ HYDRA?”

“Well, a couple were left alive.”

Peggy audibly gasped, it was subtle, likely inaudible to an unenhanced ear. “They were all supposed to die.”

“Chester didn’t agree with killing every single one. If they didn’t say ‘Hail HYDRA’, they lived,” Bucky said. There was something distant in his body language. “And so, two survived our mission. I have a good idea who Pierce could be getting orders from, if it was the real HYDRA.”

Steve closed his eyes softly. “His father.”

The elevator came to a juddering halt, the doors opening. “His… what now?”

“Pierce’s father was living a normal life in Canada. The other agents there, we killed. But Pierce’s father showed great regret. It’s possible, he later regretted that regret and turned to HYDRA’s thinking again… He was only a foot soldier, but he could have easily taught his ideals to his son.”

“And Pierce…” Peggy looked to the ceiling, as if begging for a break. “Fuck.”

“Don’t worry, we’re going to arrest him now.”

Steve and Bucky stepped out, leaving Peggy bemused in the elevator. They didn’t have time to brief her on everything they knew, it was just that Pierce was suspicious. The chance of him being HYDRA was all the more likely considering the old plans the soldiers and agents had after Schmidt died. Growing in the shadows. If Pierce was one of them, then Pierce’s father had either been a brilliant liar, or had merely changed his mind.

Pierce’s office was tucked away on this particular floor, nestled amongst other offices. This was the floor of the level 8 agent it seemed. They didn’t have to go far before they arrived at a door with Pierce’s name on it. Steve tried to open it, finding it locked. Bucky wasted no time in getting out his lockpicks and opening up the door. Kicking it in was too dramatic, even for them.

Pierce was at his desk, looking at his computer. He didn’t seem bothered that Steve and Bucky had just broken into his office. He simply continued on with his work. “I did wonder, Director Rogers, Director Barnes, when you would come for me.” His eyes flicked up, staring straight towards them, or like he was staring right through them. “I didn’t think it would be so soon.”

“Is that a confession?” Steve asked.

“You took everything from my father, his friends, his way of life. HYDRA will rise.” Pierce stood, making it clear that he was packing a gun. “You cannot kill an idea.”

Bucky’s hand settled on his hip, near where he’d hidden a knife on his body. “We absolutely can.”

Within the next second, Pierce withdrew his gun, Steve withdrew his own and Bucky had whipped a knife from his suit and thrown it. As soon as the throwing knife lodged itself in Pierce’s throat, blood ran out. Still, he’d had enough mobility to pull the trigger. Bucky made a guttural sound and without hesitation, Steve shot Pierce in the head. He lowered his gun, his eyesight sliding over to Bucky.

“Jeez, he did not know how to aim for the head,” Bucky said, pulling the bullet from his vest.

“Fuck.” Steve slipped his gun back into its holster. “Jesus, I thought he hit you for a second.”

“Well he did.” Bucky smirked. “He just wasn’t very good at his job.”

Despite the situation, Steve laughed. “Okay…” He twisted his mouth as he looked at Pierce’s corpse. “You know what he suggested, right?”

“‘HYDRA will rise’? Yeah, it’s likely we’ve got a HYDRA problem 2.0 on our hands.”

Steve sighed. It was great to know that an old foe’s ideals had come back to haunt them. He walked over to Pierce’s desk and picked up the phone, dialling the number for the cleaners. “Hello?”

“Sir?”

“Can we get clean up on floor 20, Pierce’s office?”

“Certainly, sir. Who is the casualty?”

“Alexander Pierce.”

“We’ll be there soon.”

“Thank you.” Steve hung up and Bucky gave him a look of ‘did they ask any questions?’. “As receptive as always.”

Bucky smiled. “I suppose they aren’t _meant_ to question us.”

“Well, they don’t have the need to know why we kill certain people.” Steve shrugged. “It’s only for their report on who’s been killed.”

“People will know soon enough that even if you’re a high-level agent, it doesn’t save you from anti-corruption.”

“They should have learnt that long ago.”

\--

Whatever Pierce had done, he kept it secret. Hidden. If there was something rising in SHIELD, biding its time, waiting for the right moment, then they had to shut it down as quickly as possible. Which meant the Cube became a hub of files on the most suspicious agents, the most liable to corruption, and everyone Pierce had ever been in contact with.

It was a mess, and Pierce’s final words were likely just to scare them. However, if there was something to be found. They’d find it.

\--

It was strange to be in a hospital room where someone wasn’t dying from a horrific disease. It was 1986 now, and despite all the hard work being done, the cure for HIV was still out of reach. Tony reasoned it may be impossible to cure AIDS itself but having a vaccine for HIV was possible. Most of what Tony talked about flew over Steve’s head, but he knew as Tony gained more experience, there was a better chance of stopping the epidemic for good.

Besides, it was hardly the time to think about all that. Christopher had officially become the second child out of the wider family to have a child. The first was Donzaleigh, Gabe’s daughter, with a son, Antoine. Christopher had been lucky to have a beautiful little baby girl.

Which meant everyone was crowded into one room again, ogling at the baby like it was a precious gem. Although, considering all that was going on in the world, a baby was precious, a welcome joy.

Of course, the baby meant Christopher was now winning, according to Ruth. Steve didn’t quite understand why. Maybe it was because Christopher had a stable, humble living with the bakery. The addition of a child likely meant he’d achieved all his dreams first.

Ruth was still yet to be president, but she was an accomplished politician in her own right. Respected by her peers, even the old white men – who were really just scared of her, she had the same unrelenting force as Angie. Ben was a journalist reporting on real issues, but his ultimate dream was owning his own newspaper. And Tony’s one true goal was improving the world, just like his father, which was a never-ending dream. So, yeah, that did make Christopher the winner. For now.

“What are you going to call her?” Angie asked excitedly.

Christopher’s wife, Flo, glanced to the baby in her arms, then to Christopher, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Sharon.”

Christopher smiled, kissing Flo’s forehead. “Sharon Carter… I like that.”

Michael gave a big grin. Steve still thought it a little weird when he smiled, since he hardly saw him anymore, but then again, family events like this did draw everyone out. “Sharon is a strong name. She’s the most delicate thing I’ve ever seen.”

“More delicate than me?” Christopher asked, smiling.

“Yes.”

A ripple of laughter spread through the group.

“It’s not fair that you win, Chris,” Ruth said, folding her arms.

“You just weren’t fast enough.”

Tony scoffed. “You all do know this isn’t over, right? This competition never ends.”

“Won’t it when we die?” Ben asked. “Or if we all end up having children, do we pass the race off to them?”

Sharon cried a little, waving her arms about.

“I think Sharon says no,” Christopher said, running his finger down Sharon’s tiny little face.

Peggy rolled her eyes. “Enough about your silly game.”

“It’s not _silly_ ,” Ben protested. “Uncle Steve, Uncle Bucky, back us up.”

Steve opened his mouth to say he hardly knew what any of it meant, but Bucky cut in before he could speak. “It might not be silly, but you all do know we’re about ten years away from clean energy being the norm for the world thanks to Tony, so who really wins then?”

“Whose side are you _on_?” Ruth furrowed her brow at Bucky, gaping. “Don’t say Tony is your favourite, I came first!”

“Well, really, you and Ben came at the same time.”

“I’m the oldest!”

“Please…” Flo cut in. “Shut up about your game. Do you know how many times I’ve heard Chris complain about it over the last year?”

Steve couldn’t help but giggle a little at that. They were all so stubborn and relentless and he loved it so much. It was like they were all cut from the same cloth. All the same kind of personality in one room was bound to make someone who wasn’t a little annoyed.

“A lot?” Howard asked, grinning.

Christopher pouted. “Not that much.”

“A lot, yes,” Flo confirmed. She looked down at Sharon. “I hope my daughter is never like this.”

“Well, she’s a Carter,” Peggy said. “She may be doomed either way.”

Maria nodded along. “And our family is kind of crazy, but you knew that when you married Chris.”

“We’ve always been stubborn and insane,” Theo continued.

Lee smirked. “And sarcastic to the end.”

Clara sighed, her eyes darting over the group. “Flo, a little advice?”

Flo tilted her head, waiting.

“I’m like you, different to all them… You just have to embrace it.”

Flo grimaced, mockingly, holding Sharon closer to her. “Looks like I’ll have to protect Sharon from this family’s wrath.”

“I can assure you,” Steve began with a small smile, “you can’t escape our wrath. Trust me, Ben tried.”

Ben raised his eyebrows, clearly in agreement, having to admit it to himself. “I did, and I failed.”

Sharon gurgled, as if to say that she understood. But the child knew nothing yet.

\--

“Can I get a red alert up in here?” Bucky said as he burst into their office.

Steve looked up from his files. “We’re still never calling it that.”

He stood still, fists slightly clenched. “The Tesseract has been taken.”

Steve bolted up. “How do you know? Why? Where is it?”

“Howard’s been secretly monitoring the Arctic since the ‘40s and knew where it was this whole time. It wasn’t him though, and he’s the only one who knew its location. I don’t know why, but Howard found a trace of its energy signature in Edwards Air Force Base.”

“Why there?”

“No idea. But we’re going.”

Steve vaulted over his desk. “We’ve got no time to waste.”

Bucky shook his head, heading out of the office. “So dramatic.”

Going to California straight from the Cube was like Steve and Bucky’s bread and butter. They used to make the journey so regularly decades ago. Yet, now, with Howard, Gabe and Jim all settled in New York, they didn’t make the trip as often. It was now more Peggy and Angie flying over to meet with them, instead of the other way around.

Once they got to the Air Force base, one flash of their IDs got them the VIP treatment. Really, military wise, being Directors of SHIELD got them everywhere. And perhaps, their legend got them places too. People would always remember the good work the Invaders did, even if they didn’t remember Captain America as much as they used to. Anyhow, they were given full access to investigate the base, under the impression they were there to investigate a corruption case.

Howard and Tony had cleverly worked on a device that would be able to track the Tesseract’s signature without the need for a computer. The device was the size of a hand, conveniently. They swept through the base, the beeps emitting from the device coming in shorter intervals. Right up until they were standing outside a door.

Steve knocked twice as Bucky turned the device off, placing it back in his backpack. A small ‘come in’ echoed from inside. Steve rolled his shoulders before walking in.

“Oh,” a woman said, with short blonde hair, wearing a rather nice leather jacket. Steve could hardly trust her on fashion sense alone. “Who are you?”

“We’re Directors of SHIELD,” Bucky said, clear authority in his tone. “And you are?”

“Doctor Wendy Lawson.” She smiled. “What can I do for you?”

Steve stepped forward, glancing around the room casually. The Tesseract was nowhere to be seen, and he couldn’t see a soft blue glow either. “An item went missing from our watch and we’re here to see why.”

“Only why? You wouldn’t take it back?”

“Depends why it was taken.”

Bucky set his backpack on the floor, unzipping it and taking the device back out. Lawson regarded him with a raised eyebrow, but Steve kept a steady eye on her. In case she made a move. They had no idea who she was, and if she knew the Tesseract was in this room, she could be dangerous. Steve kept himself at the ready to grab his gun.

“Before I turn this device on,” Bucky stood, “do you know where the Tesseract is?”

Lawson clenched her jaw and a cat hopped up onto her desk. “Tesseract?”

Steve sighed. “Come on, you can do better than that.”

“What does your device do?”

“It traces the Tesseract’s signature.”

Lawson held up her hand, to which her cat turned around and jumped off the desk and onto the filing cabinets behind Lawson. Huh, Steve had never seen a cat trained like that before. “I’m going to press a button, if you shoot me, my cat will retaliate.”

Steve glanced to Bucky, who was eyeing the cat strangely with a furrowed brow. Steve had to admit, it was a weird thing to say. Something niggled at him that Lawson was not all that she seemed. But they were there to find out the ‘why’ and the ‘how’, and they weren’t leaving till they got it. Even if they had to stop a cat from killing them to find out.

As Lawson pressed a button under her desk, a panel in the wall slid open, an overwhelming blue light shone into the room. The Tesseract. It was nestled safely inside a small metal container.

“Why?” Steve asked, tearing his eyes away.

“There is a war going on the two of you could not comprehend. I want to use the Tesseract’s energy to produce Light-Speed Engine. But I doubt you’ll understand that either.”

Bucky tilted his head back. “Oh… The war isn’t happening on Earth, is it?”

Lawson parted her lips before thinning them. “What do you know of space?”

Steve folded his hands behind his back. “We know we’re not alone; we know about Kree–”

“What about Kree?”

“They created a race of biologically modified humans that gain powers when they touch the Obelisk.”

Lawson gasped. “A Diviner? The Kree thought the experiments weren’t successful. Oh.” She stared into space, her eyes darting from side to side. “You can never let on to any other Kree that they succeeded. They will conquer your planet like they have done to so many others, and likely renew the experiments.”

“Is that the war you’re fighting?” Bucky asked, tilting his head. “You’re not human, are you?”

“I’m Kree– But I’ve broken free of their ideals.”

“Are some of you…” He trailed off, gesturing vaguely. “Not blue?”

“You know what we look like? The experiments were thousands of years ago. I–”

“We have a corpse.” Steve took a step forward, but Lawson’s cat hissed, so he retreated back. “Tell us about the war.”

“Right now, it’s a war between the Kree and Skrulls. Skrull can shapeshift into anything they want to be, they could shapeshift into you or me.” Lawson hung her head. “I used to be on the Kree’s side, but when I realised what they were _truly_ doing… They weren’t saving lives or fighting a just war, they were conquering any planet they saw as weak.”

“So, why do you need the Tesseract?”

“I can use it to create a Light-Speed Engine, so I can help the Skrulls find a safe planet, inaccessible to the Kree.” Lawson looked Steve and Bucky straight in the eye. “Please, don’t stop this. I don’t want more innocent people to die.”

“Do you have a safe place for the Tesseract if things went wrong?” Bucky asked. “We kept it in the ocean for a reason.”

Lawson pursed her lips. “I have a laboratory in orbit. Untraceable to Earth’s technology. I won’t say more than that to keep the people under my care safe.”

“That’s fair.”

“Will you help me?”

Steve shared a glance with Bucky. If they didn’t help, innocents could die. If they did, they could be aiding in something they didn’t fully understand. They only had one side of the story. However, they did know of Kree and had no good opinions about them due to what they did to Inhumans. It was a complicated issue.

“How can we trust you?” Steve asked.

Lawson sighed, turning to her cat and stroking it idly. “I have refugees under my care. The Kree destroyed the Skrull’s planet. They have nowhere to go. You have no reason to trust me, but trust in the fact that this will save lives.”

“Refugees…” He murmured, knowing that turning away refugees, refusing them help… only got them killed. “If you don’t create this engine, they’ll die?”

“If they’re found, yes. The Kree will not hesitate. They have technology you cannot begin to imagine.”

Bucky scoffed. “I think I can imagine to some degree.” He looked to Steve, his eyes a little wider than normal. Steve gave a curt nod. They couldn’t refuse help to refugees. It was a risk, but one he was willing to take. “We’ll allow you to operate here and give you jurisdiction to do what you need.”

“However,” Steve said as Lawson’s shoulders relaxed, “we will need to keep an eye on you. Only as a precaution.”

Bucky nodded, smiling reassuringly. “We’ll send a trusted agent.”

“I understand… Thank you.” As soon as she’d uttered the words, her cat jumped off the filing cabinets and stalked over to Steve, walking around his legs, then did the same with Bucky. Lawson smiled. “She trusts you two.”

“I’m… slightly scared of your cat,” Steve said, watching as the cat happily pottered over to the desk, crawling under.

“Her name is Goose and she’s not a cat.”

“She’s an alien too?”

“Yeah, a pretty dangerous one.” Lawson laughed softly. “Do you want to know more about her species?”

“Hell yeah, I wanna know about a space cat,” Bucky said excitedly.

Which was how they were roped into what felt like a fifty-page essay on Flerken and how dangerous they were if they felt you were a threat to people they liked. Bucky was thrilled about the whole explanation, and Steve watched his expressions morphed into more and more joyful ones as Lawson went on, rather than listening to the vast amount of facts being unloaded on them.

“So… yeah, be wary of her claws,” Lawson finished with a grin.

Goose hopped up onto Bucky’s lap, to which he stroked her happily. She didn’t stay for more than thirty seconds, but Bucky was clearly overjoyed with having a space cat on his lap. Even if it was really a dangerous alien species. “I love her.”

Lawson tracked Goose’s movements. “She’s the best pet.”

Bucky stood, holding out his hand. “Thank you for sharing, Doctor Lawson.”

Lawson shook Bucky’s hand. “Thank you for trusting me.”

Steve grinned, standing as well. “Believe me, he trusts you a whole lot more because you told him about Goose.”

“It’s true.”

Lawson laughed. “Good to know. I’ll win people over with that next time.” She held out her hand and Steve shook it.

The two beamed all the way out of the Air Base. They schooled their expressions if any soldier looked towards them (they had reputations to uphold as Directors of SHIELD) but when no one was looking, they were as happy as ever. The mood dissipated as they got in the car, however, the weight of what Lawson was dealing with hanging over them.

“Should it be Agent Keller?” Steve asked. “I would trust him to watch over her.”

“Yeah, I think Keller’s a safe bet.”

\--

  1. It felt like it should have been a good year. Everyone and everything were fine… at first.



Tony believed he was _so_ close to a HIV vaccine, Howard was rooting him on, and Maria made sure he got food at the right times of day. Ruth was Secretary of Labour and was really bringing some ideas to the table that got Americans thinking. Since Ruth was just like Angie in her ability to get people on side, no matter what it was, she had managed to get to the place she was sorely needed. Ben was still saving for his newspaper, but he was at the top of his game for the newspaper he did work for, the Daily Bugle. And Christopher was spreading himself thin with the bakery and caring for Sharon, who was the perfect toddler.

Not to mention Antoine was an angel, and Jim’s youngest son, Kenneth, was going into teaching.

Angie was still getting parts, in spite of Hollywood’s ageism. Peggy and Howard were still going strong as Directors of SHIELD. Theo and Lee were half-retired, they still helped with digging for information in some cases. Gabe had retired with his nice SHIELD pension. And Jim was in the process of retiring. Dum Dum kept saying he’d always fight, despite being in his late seventies. It was said Monty had moved back to Birmingham, on the outskirts.

The bad started with Jacques. He seemed like he was going strong, the last they’d seen him, on Jim’s birthday. Sure, he had wrinkles and his chin had loose skin and he looked old and tired and so _old_. But he was fine health wise. He still had his stall, only working on Saturdays, and still taught kids science at a club. It was fine.

Till he had died in his sleep. The funeral wasn’t a grand event, there were plenty of people there though. Seemed like anyone he’d ever smiled at. Steve cried, a little. A lot. Bucky was much the same. Because this wasn’t Chester, or a parent, this was someone their own age. Sure, Jacques had been the oldest out of them all, older than Steve by seven years. It brought it all crashing down how old everyone had gotten. How he and Bucky were the same age but would never look it.

All the Invaders turned up for his funeral, it was the very least any of them could do. At the wake, they shared stories, happy ones from the war. Funny ones from all the decades they’d met up. They let the sadness flow through them as they spoke, missing their friend but chuckling wetly when someone mentioned Jacques boiling alcohol or how he brought bizarre stories to them about the kids in the science club, whenever they met up.

It didn’t feel real that he wasn’t there anymore.

It only got worse as the final leads for their big corruption case, brought on by Pierce and his ideals, turned up an unexpected rat. Who knew, really, what this HYDRA 2.0 business was really about. Money? Power? For the artifacts they’d collected over the years? They’d never get the Obelisk; they’d sent that up into the sun through Slingshot years back. And the Monoliths were buried in a base no one knew existed. Not to mention all the hidden items in the Guest House, which was as secret as the Tesseract being with Lawson

HYDRA only stood to gain what they had aimed for in the war, and they’d already failed.

Still, it was still a violent shock when it turned out the last line of the corruption led to their Head of Defence.

Steve was angry about it. It opened old wounds of betrayal, and it felt like it would just keep happening. They had trusted the wrong person, let him into SHIELD, let him rise. Just like Pierce, just like all the others. But they were working to rectify it. As soon as they knew where he was.

Which was why Steve and Bucky were staring at Carson’s file, in their office, waiting for their agents to turn up a result.

“He worked his way into our ranks and took advantage of us, like any good spy would. It’s what any of us would do if the shoe was on the other foot,” Bucky said blankly. No emotion to his voice.

Steve hummed. “It’s so hard to find good agents these days.”

“Wasn’t easier in the ‘40s. Or the ‘50s. Or even the ‘60s.”

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.”

“No, I’m serious. I know we can trust Fury and Coulson, Keller maybe.” Bucky tipped his head to the ceiling. “Anyone else?”

“Melinda May, she’s good.”

“Yeah… We’ll always have people we trust unconditionally. It’s just finding them.”

Steve sighed. “Wish we still had Theo and Lee.”

Bucky scoffed, shoving Steve’s shoulder slightly. “God, Stevie, let them be retired.”

Their office door burst open. “Carson’s at the Triskelion, Sirs.”

“Of course he is,” Bucky grumbled.

And finally, it felt like the Cube had been placed correctly. They flew down to Washington DC in record time, a team of agents with them. They wanted to be a little dramatic with their display, and who could blame them? Having anti-corruption out in the open was a good way to warn everyone at SHIELD what the consequences were.

As they rushed into the Triskelion, their steps quick yet firm, Steve found himself feeling excited. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling on missions like this. And this case coming to a close was particularly gratifying. Tracking down who could have been manipulated into HYDRA’s thinking by Pierce had been a long journey, but they were _certain_ this was the end of it. They’d worked their way up from agents that slipped up, to this son of a bitch.

Of course, when they got to the briefing room, he didn’t expect to see Hank Pym, a bloodied Carson, Howard and Peggy all present.

“Don’t look at me, you said it,” Howard remarked.

Steve had no time to wonder what this conversation was about. “Mitchell Carson, you’re under arrest for colluding with terrorists.” As he came to a stop by Pym, the agents rounded the table. Carson got up, trying to back away, maybe run. But he had nowhere to go. The agents quickly overwhelmed him, bringing him to the ground and handcuffing him.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Howard,” Bucky said, pointing to the red vial on the table. “What’s that?”

The implication was clear. With Pym here, it meant SHIELD had tried to recreate Pym’s research. Steve supposed that was to do with Carson, they’d trusted the wrong man for too long. He was their Head of Defence, and he’d betrayed them.

Howard put up his hands. “For once, it wasn’t me. Carson ordered his scientists to replicate it.” He looked to Pym. “I tried to stop it, I swear. But they weren’t under my orders.”

Pym furrowed his brow. “I thought–”

“You thought wrong. I don’t do that, not to friends.”

Steve knew, in another world, Howard wouldn’t have thought twice about replicating the formula. If it hadn’t had been for Steve and Bucky pulling him from the brink after Vanko, Howard would have taken credit for the Arc Reactor, maybe become bitter afterwards. He would have listened to Stane and left behind pioneering technology. That’s the kinda guy who would have stopped at nothing to secure the formula. Lucky for them, this wasn’t a world like that. That wasn’t their Howard.

“It’s too dangerous,” Pym said, seemingly continuing his past conversation. “As long as I’m alive, nobody will ever get my formula.” He gestured to Carson. “It’s too likely to end up in the wrong hands.”

“We accept that, Hank. I’m sorry it came to this,” Peggy said, her eyes ever so slightly sad.

“Take this as my resignation.”

Howard nodded. “Can we stay friends? Please?”

Pym gave a small smile. “I’ll think about it.” He calmly walked out of the room, even though emotions had been high.

“Well,” Bucky said, swaying back and forth as the agents were standing at the door with Carson. “As fun as this has been, we need to take this one to the Rat.”

“What’s your proof?” Howard asked.

“What’s not? It’s the same as Pierce, Howard. He’s been corrupt for a long time, probably for as long as we’ve known him. And he left enough mistakes for us to piece it together.”

Peggy huffed an amused breath. “We’d be lost without your anti-corruption department.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “You’d be riddled with HYDRA if it wasn’t for us.”

“HYDRA’s thinking is the only way!” Carson shouted.

“Shut _up_!” all four of them shouted back. They glanced at each other with small smiles.

“So, is your Pierce HYDRA 2.0 problem over with?” Peggy asked.

“Yeah,” Steve said, glaring at Carson. “HYDRA is officially over.”

\--

“Nothing? No body, nothing?” Bucky asked, looking over his shoulder, back at the crashed plane, he glanced to the lake, to the agent.

“Only half of Danvers’s dog tags, Sir. We know Doctor Lawson and Captain Danvers were flying the plane. There’s no trace of either body.”

Steve sucked in a breath. Fuck this. Lawson was a good person, and this was more suspicious than it seemed. “I want all of this covered up as quickly as possible. I want you to tell everyone at the base that nothing was found, that it was a horrific accident. I want all of Lawson’s files locked up at the Joint USAFA Facility.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Steve and Bucky turned away from the crash site, walking far from earshot. He couldn’t believe it. Keller had kept tabs on Lawson, and often told Steve and Bucky about how good soldiers, Danvers and Rambeau, were being cast aside. Lawson was only trying to help, she had the Skrulls in mind. Now she was dead and the Light-Speed engine she’d been creating was destroyed. What did that mean for the refugees under her care?

“So, I think maybe the Kree found out about Lawson,” Steve said, once they were far enough away.

Bucky thinned his lips. “Yeah, the crash site shows some kind of struggle. It would look normal to most, but then, we’re not most.”

“Where do you think the Tesseract is?”

“We can check the base, if it’s not there, we have to assume it’s at her laboratory.”

Steve turned to the smoking mass that was once a plane. “Fuck… This will come to bite us in the ass one day.”

Bucky closed his eyes briefly. “In what way do you think?”

“In the worst way possible…” He sighed. “I hope Lawson and Danvers had peaceful deaths.”

“Let’s hope… because it damn well looks horrific, Steve.”

Steve glanced to the ground, scuffing his shoe against the sand. They’d lost an important ally today. It was just another mark down in why 1989 was not in fact a good year at all.


	12. Colleagues Come and Go

Tony worked out how to create a vaccine for HIV in 1990, it took him a year to get it through all the procedures. Before long, it was cleared for use in clinics, in hospitals, for everyone everywhere. And the AIDS crisis had come to an end. Steve wished it had happened sooner, to save so many dying, but it was here now, and that was what mattered. Tony and Howard had come up with an effective treatment for AIDS, but they were nowhere near a cure, and weren’t sure if there would ever be one.

The achievement gave Howard an excuse to organise a party, something he hadn’t done since the ‘70s. Parties had gone on the backburner when Tony was growing up, but now he was twenty-one, it was all okay. Plus, Howard’s parties were the best Steve had attended. He was excited for this. It would be a little weird though, with everyone being so much older than the last time.

They were holed up in Howard’s mansion, all getting ready for the party. Howard had told them all to bring a few outfits so everyone could agree on the best one. So far, Howard was in his white suit, wearing a purple tie. Maria was in her silky red dress that looked so delicate and good on her. Peggy was in a dress that looked straight from the ‘60s, but it was so sparkly and had great colours.

Currently, Angie was getting changed in the other room while everyone chatted idly. She, like everyone, was old, in her seventies, but still beautiful. In Steve’s mind, looking at his friends, he still saw how they looked young, he disregarded how old they had really gotten. But that wouldn’t protect his heart from the inevitable.

Angie came spinning into the room, stopping in front of the couches, hands on her hips. “Does this look party worthy?”

“Oh, darling, yes,” Peggy breathed.

Steve had to admit, the dress was lovely. Made her look young while also keeping with the times. The dress puffed out at the bottom, making it look a little more elegant than everyone else’s outfit. Then again, Angie always looked good, elegant with an edge of ‘don’t fuck with me’.

“Of course auntie Angie would nail it on the first try!” Tony exclaimed, grinning.

“Thank you, Tony.” Angie smirked and twirled a little before neatly sitting next to Peggy. She snuggled into her side like they always did.

Everyone chose Theo’s second outfit, it fit him perfectly. Lee had to go through all of his outfits three times before Howard clapped his hands together, declaring that Lee would choose himself. He came out in outfit one, a fine fitting shirt and trousers, but had a horrible patterned tie, looked like curtains. Everyone hated it, except for Lee, but hey ho. Ruth refused to change, citing that she was already in a suit that she was happy with, to everyone’s disappointment. Ben ended up in his favourite suit, as it so happened. Tony was very happy that Ben didn’t inherit Lee’s fashion sense.

Tony was – almost forced – to stay in his navy-blue suit. He had a rich purple shirt on with a blue tie. It matched well, and everyone agreed. Apart from Tony, who’d really wanted to wear a top hat with it.

Everyone rejected that.

Next up was Bucky. Steve had picked out all his outfits to ensure he would like whatever the others forced him into. (Bucky had done the same for Steve too). He did have a preference for the suit with the red shirt, but he’d see.

Bucky came out in his pretty standard black suit first. Steve particularly liked that one for how well it framed Bucky’s face.

“Oh, ew,” Tony said. “It makes Uncle Buck look like he’s out on a mission.”

Bucky scrunched up his face for a second before schooling his features. “How do you know what I look like on undercover missions?”

Tony sipped his beer, staring at Bucky like he’d know.

“Oh, _fine_.” He whipped around, stalking back into the other room.

Next, he came out in the more eighties looking suit but the purple of it _really_ brought out Bucky’s eyes. And the shirt was well fitting indeed, more so than Steve remembered. Seemed like Bucky had beefed up his muscles again. How hadn’t Steve noticed? He’d have to investigate that later.

Ruth choked. “Please, no, you look like my ex.”

Bucky tilted his head. “The one with the brown mark on his tooth?”

“No.”

“The one with the scar on his hand?”

“No.”

“Oh… The one with the scar on his eyebrow?”

“Can we just agree that this suit is not the one we wanna see Bucky in?” Peggy said, eyeing everyone.

“I mean, I don’t mind it,” Steve said, sweeping his eyes over the purple. It was _good_.

“You’re his partner, you’re supposed to like everything he wears.”

“And everything he doesn’t,” Theo chimed.

“That… doesn’t even make sense,” Bucky grumbled before he went back to change.

And… finally. He came out in the velvet suit with his silky red shirt, no tie. Looking like some kind of god, like sex on legs. And boy, did a good outfit get a seventy-year-old man wondering what else he could bring to the table– to the bedroom. Maybe it was time they got creative because… damn, the suit was better than he remembered.

“Oh, looks like Rogers is thinking of all the ways he could divest Bucky of his clothing,” Howard said, smirking. “I vote this one.”

“Did you _really_ have to put that image in my head, Dad?” Tony rolled his eyes. “No one wants to think about their uncles getting it on.”

“Oh, trust me, when they get started…” Angie said, sipping her cocktail.

Peggy tapped her fingers against Angie’s hip. “They really did used to get _started_.”

“O _-kay_.” Bucky straightened his jacket. “There are children in the room.”

“You do remember we’re adults, right?” Ben asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tony stuck up his hand. “Some of us are still pretty young and would like this to stop.”

Bucky shrugged and sat down next to Steve. “I’m keeping this on. Might rekindle the fire in our sexual relationship.”

“LA. LA. LA!” Tony shouted, covering his ears.

Steve laughed his ass off all the way to the room. Bucky kept teasing Tony, to the point where Tony’s ‘la’s’ were going to start making ears bleed from the intensity of the noise. As the shouting quietened to small talk and other topics, Steve picked out the outfit he knew everyone would love.

A good well-fitting pink suit jacket, with a crisp white shirt and light blue velvet trousers. He knew fine well Bucky loved this combination, often begging Steve to wear it. And here it was, waiting for him. He quickly got into it and made a swift entrance into the room, twirling a little before coming to a stop.

“Oh, yeah, this one!” Peggy called. “Definitely this one.”

“Agreed,” Angie said, her eyes roaming Steve’s shoulders for a second. Old habits die hard, he guessed.

Howard nodded for a good three seconds. “Definitely, have you seen that pink?”

Maria leant forward, as if to get closer. “I have, and it looks _good_ on him.”

“This reminds me of that party back in ’57,” Lee said, tilting his head. “Everyone was in love with your outfit, I think the same goes for now.”

Theo hummed. “Fits you well, Rogers.”

Ruth, Ben and Tony all looked disgusted by how their parents/uncles/aunties were reacting. Steve shrugged and sat down, he had a majority anyway, regardless of what the kids thought. Bucky hooked his arm around Steve’s, setting his head on his shoulder.

“I love it, doll,” he whispered.

“I know. I love yours too.”

Tony welcomed the guests in when they came knocking. Howard had hired someone to make up everyone’s drinks, which meant that all of them, except for the kids, remained on the couches. Even though Howard enjoyed a good party, he stayed put, which was a first. Steve stole a bottle of schnapps from the bar while no one was looking and the eight of them returned to one of the oldest traditions that existed in their little family.

Howard swirled his drink rather than drinking it for most of the night. When Bucky called him up on it, he simply shrugged and said he wasn’t sure it would be great for his heart if he drank a lot. Peggy and Angie, at one point, started trading kisses that began on cheeks and swiftly transferred to the lips… It got a little raunchy and felt like the old days, till a cushion flew between them. Tony was the culprit, standing with his arms folded, staring at his aunties.

“Look, this is a party and you’d all rather hang out in your old people group than show off your amazing outfits and talk to people,” he said, addressing everyone with sharp eyes.

“We’re not as young as you,” Bucky retorted. “We are–”

“Can it, Barnes. You and Steve are as young as any of us.”

“ _Externally_ ,” Steve asserted, glaring at Tony for even bringing it up. “We really are in our seventies, not our twenties.”

Tony opened his mouth, but Maria put up her hand, sternly. “If you say one more word about how they’re young, you’ll upset your uncles. This is something that has hurt them for a long time. Leave them be, they will never be on the same level as you.”

Tony sighed. “Okay… Sorry, Uncle Steve, Uncle Bucky… It’s fine that you wanna hang with your schnapps I guess.”

“Now, run along, Tony,” Peggy said, sipping her schnapps. “The elderly need their time alone.”

Tony walked away grumbling about how they were wasting a good party by being with each other. But what he did not know was, this was their fun. Not talking to people they hardly knew, but spending time with friends, family. Steve and Bucky were biologically their age, they had spent decades with them, hanging out with each other like this. Living with their friends at their side.

They certainly weren’t going to spend their time with anyone else. Not when they had a limited amount of time to still do things like this.

\--

The ‘90s were a better place. Steve and Bucky could hold hands while walking down a street. They could kiss in public. And if anyone had anything to say about it, they were super soldiers. What could anyone do about it? But while the world was becoming a better place each and every day, SHIELD was going to lose two very important people.

It was 1993, and the day Peggy and Howard were retiring as Directors of SHIELD. It would leave Steve and Bucky as the leaders, making the four founders left, reduce to two. Peggy wanted to let go of her responsibilities and have time with Angie. And Howard wanted to concentrate on Tony fully, to be able to pass off all the information he could to him, so that Tony would be fully prepared to be CEO of Stark Industries. Not to mention that Maria was retiring from Stark Industries at the same time, the HR department would miss her ruthlessness.

They were at the Triskelion, in one conference room that was hardly used. Steve and Bucky had arranged two beautiful cakes to be made. One with Peggy on, and one with Howard. They had made up a design, where Peggy was wearing her classic red hat, looking young, holding a gun. And Howard’s was him standing next to a hovering car, young and grinning.

“It’s perfect!” Peggy exclaimed, hugging both of them.

Howard picked up a knife, cutting a corner off. “Yeah… It’s a good goodbye.”

Steve scuffed his shoe off the floor. “Well, you deserved some kind of retirement party.”

Peggy smiled. “All we needed was cake and the both of you. We don’t need agents we hardly know.”

“Don’t know what we’re going to do without you,” Bucky said, twisting his mouth.

“You’ll find someone new to take under your wing,” Howard mumbled, around a bit of his cake.

Steve knew a few people who would make good directors, but no one would ever be Peggy and Howard. Maybe they needed to accept that. Maybe they didn’t need people to replace them, they needed something new.

It was strange to note that out of all the places, Peggy and Angie decided Washington DC would be the place they would finally settle, Theo and Lee next door to them. They were still fake married, for now, but were going through the motions of ending it. It wasn’t like they’d fallen out, so they needed no lawyers to fight for any deal. But times were different now. In reality, they had only ever been married to the one they truly loved.

Howard and Maria would be staying in their New York mansion. He was prepared to teach Tony every single scrap of information he’d ever learnt. To teach him more of business (and how to get your own way). Of the industries Howard had ruled for years with his technology, including computers these days. Technology was important, and Tony was the next part of that.

Steve and Bucky, however, had SHIELD and each other… And it was all they would have, once their friends became too old. That was the sad part of why they were retiring. They were old.

Steve and Bucky weren’t, and that meant they’d been left behind.

\--

It was another usual night. Steve had cooked dinner, consisting of burgers with buns he’d made himself and plenty of spices with heaps of ketchup. He and Bucky ate up, trading jokes and reminiscing about nothing in particular. They couldn’t really tell each other about their days, since they’d spent it together, visiting Keller, then Fury and a couple other agents. They were still trying to decide whether to take on another director.

Steve was just about finished with his meal when Bucky set his dish aside, levelling Steve with a long stare.

“The Darkhold,” he said.

“We’ll never find it.”

“HYDRA believed in what it could do. Leviathan spent too many years looking for it. I know our leads went cold decades ago, but we really need it destroyed as soon as possible.” Bucky sighed. “You know how it could destroy everything. There has to be something we missed.”

“Or it’s just buried somewhere.”

“Probably. But there has to be a reference on a piece of paper, at least. A paper trail. They wouldn’t necessarily call it the ‘Darkhold’.

Steve stabbed one of his fries a few times, thinking it over. If they looked for the Darkhold again, the World Security Council could get on their back about it. Not that they really mattered, there were workarounds. And the Council never had anyone’s interests in mind. No… the Darkhold could absolutely kill people if the myths were to be believed. “Okay, we need to start with those letters that reference the Darkhold.”

“The ones from the 1910s?”

“Yep. If we can find anything there, then we’ll look.”

Bucky sighed again, leaning his elbows on the table and setting his head on his hands. “Do you think– Steve, we’re– I’m worried.”

Steve reached over the table, curling his fingers around Bucky’s forearm. “About what?”

“If this life might destroy us one day.”

“This has been our life for fifty years.”

Bucky closed his eyes, a little huff of breath escaping his lips. “It sometimes feels like we’re drifting apart bit by bit. Every anti-corruption case kills a part of us. Every time we think about our lack of aging, we get angry, at each other.” He opened his eyes, his gaze actively avoiding Steve. “I’m scared I’ll lose you one day.”

“Lose me how?”

He looked to Steve now, tears in his eyes. “What if we fall out of love? It feels like it’s already happening.”

“That will _never_ happen, okay?” Steve gave a reassuring smile, rubbing his hand up and down Bucky’s arm. “You’ll never lose me; I’m never falling out of love with you. I’m with you, Buck, to the end of the goddamn line.”

Bucky covered Steve’s hand with his own, holding tight. “Guess I’m just insecure these days… I’m sorry.”

Steve was having none of that. He moved from his seat and crouched down by Bucky, taking his hands into his own. “I know it feels weird and unnatural that our minds are old, but our bodies are young still… But that doesn’t mean I’m ever leaving you. We’ve been through far too much to ever be apart now. And _I’m_ sorry if I’ve ever gave you reason to doubt how much I _love_ you.”

Bucky let out a wet laugh, sliding off his seat to kneel in front of Steve. He leant his forehead on Steve’s, their hands joined between them. “You never gave me any doubt… I love you so much it hurts. I just– feel like I’m trapping you sometimes, stopping you from being you.”

Steve tilted his head, capturing Bucky’s lips. He wasn’t letting the love of his goddamn life believe that he was trapping him in any way. It wasn’t fair on either of them. He let the kiss linger, pouring every word he could ever say proclaiming his devotion into this one action. When he pulled back, just an inch, Bucky chased after him. He let him indulge, and it almost felt like they were young again, trying to find out how their love worked, wanting nothing more than to keep kissing. It wasn’t the most perfect moment, and they hardly needed this much reassurance after fifty years.

But maybe that’s exactly why. The more decades that passed, the harder they had to work at keeping each other together. No matter, Steve would fight for Bucky till his dying day.

“You could never trap me, sweetheart,” Steve whispered as they barely parted from each other.

“I know… God, I know.”

“I’m with you.”

“I know.”

Steve rubbed Bucky’s back, pouring any amount of reassurance he could into the touch. “We can worry about our jobs another time, tonight, tomorrow, I’m taking care of you, okay?”

Bucky sniffed, working his hand up to settle it in Steve’s hair. “Okay, okay… I love you so much.”

Steve kissed him again, a small peck, but a tender one. “I love you too.”

\--

Steve pressed his fingers to his comm. “White Wolf, what’s your status?”

“Ha. White Wolf, I’ll never get used to that.”

“I swear to god.”

He could practically hear Bucky’s eyes roll. “I’m in position, Nomad. Ha. Nomad…”

“Wolf, I will come over there.”

“Concentrate.”

Steve straightened his jacket collar and kept walking to the house that they’d been monitoring for the last week. An older man – Mr Atwood – lived there, and the possibility of the Darkhold being buried in the basement was a high one. They’d scoured letters, references, relationships between people who had been known to once own the Darkhold, centuries ago. It all finally led to one man. He had died there, a decade ago, and his son had since owned the house.

Therefore, there was a good chance this was the right place.

Also, the mission gave them a good chance to test out Tony’s new comms. The sound was crisper, it made it look like a hearing aid and fit nicely. It made their radios seem wholly useless in comparison.

Steve turned to the house and jogged up the drive, hopping up onto the step to knock at the door. “Is this alright?” he whispered.

“Yes. Movement inside the house, we’re in luck.”

The door swung open, revealing the old man Steve was expecting. But he didn’t know how to quite approach this now he was in the moment. Atwood was no military guy. He was in his late seventies but according to his records, he worked down the mines in England during the war. So… he knew the man couldn’t stop him, but there was a moral question involved with forcing himself into an old man’s house.

“Hello?”

“Mr Atwood?”

“Yes, do I know you?”

Steve shook his head. “No… I’m here with the FBI.” He heard a deliberate scoff in his earpiece. Pulling the FBI cover was an old trick, but an effective one. Which was why he always carried his fake ID in his pocket. He pulled it out and showed it to the man. “We have reason to believe there is a dangerous source of information in your house that may be a danger to this country.”

Atwood sighed. “If you’re talking about that damn book that drove my father insane, it’s in the basement.”

Steve pocketed the ID. “Is there a story to tell?”

Atwood stepped back and gestured for Steve to come in. “My father tried to read it once, and never did again. But the ideas of the book kept him up at night. Throughout my childhood, he would tell us to never go in the basement. The door is welded shut.” He closed the door.

“Lost visual,” Bucky said. “Coming down to you.”

“It’s locked from the inside and has locks on the outside to boot. He buried it under the ground, kept it hidden.”

Steve kept walking further down the hallway, Atwood behind him. He heard a faint scratch against wood. There’d been a table… with a hammer.

“He told me on his death bed to never let anyone–”

Steve whirled around and grabbed Atwood’s arm, which was raised above his head, hammer in hand. He pulled his arm down, twisting it around his back, causing Atwood to cry out in pain. Steve let out a breath, grabbing Atwood’s other hand and holding him in place.

“White Wolf? Atwood was protecting the Darkhold, it’s definitely here.”

Atwood scoffed. “You’ll never get in. That book is secure and buried.”

“Sorry. We have to make sure no one can ever find it.”

“You’re just like the rest,” Atwood seethed.

Steve moved Atwood into the dining room, just as he heard the front door open. Better late than never. Bucky came running into the dining room, smiling a little as Steve set Atwood down on a chair. Within a second, Bucky was searching through cupboards, bringing Steve some rope as soon as he found it. He wasn’t cruel, so he didn’t tie Atwood in too severely, but it was tight enough to hold an old man in place.

Steve stepped away, glaring at the man. “I said I was FBI, why did you attack?”

“People have come before.” Atwood stared Steve right in the eye. “I’ve killed bigger men than you.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Bucky said. He glanced to Steve, hands at his belt. “I’m glad we searched for it now. If anyone _ever_ found it that wasn’t us...”

Steve nodded. “I know. Think we can get a welded door open?”

Bucky walked out of the room and into the hall, picking up the hammer. “Find a tool and let’s bash the door open.”

Atwood shook his head, laughing. “And how do you expect to do that?”

Steve and Bucky both smirked before they went to look for the welded shut door. It was towards the back of the house. A white door that looked heavy and unnecessarily horror like. First, Bucky broke the locks off. It was only one obstacle, but they were super soldiers, who could stop them? They bashed the door in a rhythm, Steve hit the door with the wrench he’d found, and then Bucky would hit with the hammer.

There wasn’t a second where the two weren’t denting the door with their strength and their tools. Sure, there were easier ways to do this, technology that would help. But that required more time, more planning. This was far too important to leave now; this was something that had been on their radar since the ‘40s. It was paramount that they retrieved the item and sent it straight to Slingshot before anyone could use it for whatever reason.

Just as they were beginning to make headway with the door (it had a huge dent in the middle), they got a call. When Steve looked away, he realised the evening had melted away to the middle of the damn night. He retrieved his phone from his pocket, answering immediately.

“Sir, we have a problem. There seems to have been a crash landing in a Blockbuster in LA. A security guard reported it in, apparently a woman approached him wearing a suit that looked military, but not our military. Shall we investigate?”

Steve furrowed his brow slightly. “Do you have any more information?”

“Only that the woman seems to be modifying a phone for communications.”

“Sounds alien. Investigate it, but I want Keller on this… And Fury. They can take who they trust.”

“Sir, if it sounds alien, do you not want to be there?”

Steve looked to Bucky, who had stopped hammering the door. He shrugged. “Nah, we have our own fish to fry. I trust Keller and Fury to get the job done.”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll send the order.”

“Thank you.” Steve hung up and slid his phone back into his pocket.

“Alien, huh?” Bucky asked, tilting his head. “I mean, we can’t leave the Darkhold here but, are you sure you want to miss out on this?”

“You said it yourself, we can’t leave the Darkhold here.” He flipped the wrench a couple times. “Come on, we have to get this finished.”

They beat up the door until the morning leaked through the windows in the form of sunlight. They only took breaks to ensure Atwood was still alive, fed and watered. It wasn’t his fault two weird men entered his home, tied him up to stop him from attacking and proceeded to bash his basement door in till it had a large dent in the middle.

They kept going at it, smashing the door again and again with their tools. It seemed like there was no end in sight until midday, when the door squealed, the dent so big now. Bucky hit with his hammer one more time, causing the door to explode off its hinges, sliding down the steps to the basement.

“Thank god that’s over,” Bucky said, panting a little as he threw the hammer down.

Steve smiled at him before heading down the steps, avoiding the door as he reached the bottom. They’d really done a number on it.

The basement had bits and pieces here and there, on work benches and hooks. But what really stood out was the clear space in the corner, ground instead of concrete standing out.

“Ready to dig?” he asked, to which Bucky groaned and plucked a trowel off a hook.

“My super soldier stamina is gonna start complaining.”

“Well, it’s gonna have to complain, because we are not stopping now.”

Bucky stuck the trowel in the ground. “No, we are not.”

It took significantly less time to dig up the soil. They didn’t waste away hours slaving over it, since it was pretty easy to pick out the ratty cloth that housed a rectangle like shape. The Darkhold must have been inside. It didn’t feel right to touch it, Steve just wanted it gone and destroyed, far away from him and Bucky. Gladly, Bucky dug out a duffle bag and shoved the Darkhold into it. From the myths and theories, it was opening the book that doomed a person.

With it inside the bag and zipped up, it couldn’t hurt them.

They untied Atwood, who was asleep, looking ragged and exhausted even in his unconscious state. Only Steve and Bucky were to blame for that, but what choice did they have? Atwood had been hostile, and they had a job to do as Directors of SHIELD. This book was on the ‘too dangerous to keep’ list, had been for a long time.

Thank god it could finally be crossed off.

They wasted no time in getting to Slingshot, which wasn’t too far away from the house. And wasn’t too far away from the commotion that had Keller riled and worried over Fury. When Keller had called to update them on the Skrulls and the space soldier that had crash landed on Earth, Steve had worried over the Kree and the Tesseract, not to mention the refugees. But Keller kept his cool, informing them a Skrull had used his authority to attack Fury, but he got away with the space soldier.

Which reassured both Steve and Bucky that neither the space soldier nor the Skrulls were a threat to Earth right now. What was a threat, however, were if the Kree were going to follow. For now, they stuck to their original mission. It wasn’t more important, per se, but they knew fine well Fury could handle pretty much anything that came his way.

The agents at Slingshot welcomed them in once they got there. As the agents worked at preparing a rocket for launch, and placing the Darkhold inside, Steve and Bucky ensured no one opened it. Not that anyone knew what it was, they were hardly going to tell them. They didn’t need to anyway, they were the Directors, the people that gave the orders. And anything being sent up to the sun didn’t require the need to know about it.

Besides, a book would easily burn up. This was merely to ensure no one would find it again.

They watched as the rocket went up. Steve felt he could rest now that it was gone. They could go check out the space soldier and Skrull incident. But… at the same time, he wanted to take a second to appreciate that another powerful and dangerous artifact was gone.

Bucky rested his head on Steve’s shoulder as the rocket disappeared from sight. “The good thing about destroying these things is, no one dies. Not the corrupt person who would use it, and not the innocents who would get caught in the fallout.”

Steve wrapped his arm around Bucky. “Doing this gives people a chance to be better.”

“Yeah… Wanna go see what’s going on in LA?”

“Might as well.”

\--

By the time they got there, Fury and the space soldier had been gone for quite some time. It was heading towards midnight; they could have been anywhere by now. Steve was confident Fury had everything under control.

Keller had been stressing about the Skrull stealing his identity, and what they really wanted from them. What was more interesting was Coulson, he hadn’t been out in the field long, spending a lot of the last decade studying, getting perfect scores, coming out of the Academy to train more intensely with fellow agents such as John Garrett. He’d been doing the odd mission for around three years, but ended up on so few of any note, that higher up agents still referred to him as the ‘new guy’. Steve and Bucky could hardly understand why.

“So, where are they now?” Bucky asked as Keller was blabbering on at the LA base.

“They were at the Joint USAFA Facility,” Coulson cut in. “After that, they flew out of there in a Quadjet.”

Steve hummed, impressed. “I’ve heard the Quadjet is a good plane. Didn’t know Fury flew though.”

“He doesn’t. It was reported the woman, calling herself Vers, flew.”

Huh… A space soldier and pilot, going by the name Vers. Interesting. Steve did suppose that having spaceships probably meant whatever species of alien she was, if she was Kree or something else, they would know a lot more than humans did about these things. Something felt off about it though, and he didn’t know what. Which side was Vers on? And why were the Skrulls volatile towards the SHIELD team? There were plenty of questions.

Bucky stepped towards Coulson. “Is there anything else you know?”

Coulson folded his arms. “Fury hasn’t gone rogue and Vers didn’t shoot me with her light attack when she could have.” Steve suspected there was more to that story, maybe Coulson let them get away.

“He still went AWOL with an alien,” Keller said.

“Who cares?” Steve smiled a little. He knew it was wrong for him to put his trust in someone, when he had done so countless times over the years, only to be betrayed. But this was different on so many levels. “I trust Fury, and if he trusts a space soldier, then I’m sure we’ll find out why.”

Bucky nodded in agreement, glaring a little at Keller. He was certainly crossed off their director list, he hadn’t been on the ball. “Plus, you have more info on this than others, Keller. You shouldn’t be stressed.”

“Lawson could have been lying to us, about everything.”

“Did she ever give you reason to doubt her?” Bucky paused for a second, waiting on Keller. He stayed silent. “Exactly. She had people under her care. It’s been six years. Maybe those people are here to find out if she ever finished what she started. You ever think of that?”

“No, Sir.”

“That’s precisely the problem.”

Coulson cleared his throat. Stepping back as if he was intimidated when both Steve and Bucky turned towards him. “There were reports of a craft launching into space.”

Steve tilted is head back. “Oh… The laboratory.”

“We never did find the Tesseract here,” Bucky continued.

“It must be… Fuck. I hope it doesn’t get into the hands of the Kree.”

Coulson widened his eyes a fraction. “The Tesseract, in the hands of aliens? That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not.” Steve leant closer to Bucky. “You think Fury, a space soldier with powers and a spaceship apparently will do okay?”

“I think we can only hope Fury is as good as we know him to be.”

“If it’s any help, Director Rogers, Director Barnes, Fury takes everything in his stride,” Coulson said.

Keller sighed, toying with his waistcoat. “I would trust Fury with my life, let’s hope he’s okay up there.”

Bucky looked to the ceiling, like he was seeing through it to gaze at the stars. “We’ll see when they return.”

\--

Steve and Bucky got a call as soon as Fury was back in his office. They pretty much raced there, trying to get to not only a guy who had managed to come back from whatever the hell he’d just experienced, but the guy who they would be promoting to Director. Once they got his full report, at least.

They whisked into Fury’s office, finding the guy unpacking some supplies. Pet supplies. Cat ones to be specific. It was in the next second that Steve noticed the eye… God, something had really happened when Fury went on his own little mission.

“Oof, what happened to the eye?” he asked, not missing how Fury almost jumped at seeing Steve and Bucky standing there. “Word is, you went to space.”

“That word would be correct.” Fury moved the box onto the floor and sat in his chair, turning on his computer. “I’m writing the report now.”

“Sure you–”

“Goose?!” Bucky exclaimed. Huh. How did Steve manage to miss Goose over in the corner? On a cat bed… So, that’s what the supplies were for. Bucky stuck his hand out for Goose to sniff, who then decided to push her head into Bucky’s hand. “Long time no see, buddy.”

“How do you know Goose?” Fury asked, eyes set on his monitor. But Steve could tell he wanted to rip his cat away from Bucky.

“We knew Wendy Lawson,” Steve replied, watching as Fury’s eyebrows nearly jumped off his head.

“The rumours are true. The Directors really know everything.”

“Well, we only knew because Lawson took the Tesseract.”

“Howard kept tabs on it,” Bucky helpfully supplied. “And I have a device that detects its signature.”

“Did you find it on the laboratory?”

Fury thinned his lips. “We did. Goose ate it.”

Bucky patted Goose’s stomach. “Hey, buddy? Could you puke that up for us?”

Fury scrunched up his nose. “Ew.”

Goose rolled onto her back, purring at Bucky’s touches. Okay. Maybe not right now then.

“What can you tell us, about this whole incident?” Steve asked. Fury had begun to type, so he suspected he was actually trying to work now.

“I’ll go into detail in my report. However… the alien woman turned out to be Captain Carol Danvers, but I think she’ll go by Captain Marvel now.”

“Carol Danvers didn’t die?”

Fury nodded. “You know about that?”

Bucky turned his attention away from Goose for one second. “We covered that whole incident up. In case it was Kree.”

“Which it was,” Fury confirmed. “The Kree were coming after us and the Skrulls, who were innocent refugees. The Kree had been repressing Carol’s powers, she broke free of that and completely destroyed most of the Kree ships as a warning. There’s a lot more to the story, but as I said, there will be more in the report.”

“Thank you. That helps us put the pieces together.”

“Why didn’t you both get involved? Your insight and authority would have helped.”

Steve shook his head. “We were finding and destroying an artifact.”

“Right.”

“It’s not important,” Bucky said. “Though, I do have one question for you, Fury.”

“What is it?”

“Did Goose scratch your eye?”

“No, what?” Fury said innocently, as if the both of them wouldn’t see past his fake tone.

Bucky smirked and nodded to Goose. “Your eye has the scars of cat claws.”

“So, was it Goose?” Steve continued, smiling. “We know Flerken scratches can be nasty.”

Fury sat back in his chair, sighing. “I cannot confirm nor deny.”

“Cut the bull.” Steve smiled more so. “It was Goose.”

“It was Goose,” he coincided, huffing when he realised what he’d said.

Bucky stood, leaving Goose alone, much to her disappointment. “Agent Fury, we believe you would fit well with us.” He looked to Steve.

“And for that reason, we want to promote you to Director.”

Fury’s eyes slowly widened. “Really? But I’m just a field agent.”

“Come on, you haven’t been paying attention if you think that. We’ve had our eye on you since ’84. You recruited Coulson and look at him.”

Bucky smiled; Steve could see his giddiness in his eyes. “Will you join us?”

“Well, how could I say no?” Fury gave them the biggest grin they’d ever seen on him. “I have ideas.”

“We’ll be happy to hear them,” Steve said. “But first, because of what happened, we should tell you about the Kree corpse we have in the Guest House.”

“Lawson wasn’t the first Kree that came to our planet…” Bucky said, pulling a chair from the corner, sitting on it. “The Skrulls weren’t the first invaders, the Kree were, thousands of years ago.”

Fury leant forward on his desk. “How many different species have visited?”

Steve sat too, crossing his legs. “We don’t know for certain. As far as we’re aware, it started with a rogue faction of the Kree…”

\--

1996 was shaping up to be an important year. Arc Reactors powered quite a few important buildings around America. Any business that could afford one would have one installed. But it still looked like an Arc Reactor ending up in a car would never happen. They were too big, still too expensive. The technology was thirty years old now, but it still felt new. It was only in the last few years that companies had begged for clean energy to run their offices.

Tony’s campaigning to save the planet from humans was turning out to be an important thing for a billionaire’s son to say. It got the rich talking about it, caring about it when they would normally only care about profit and nothing else. And it got the young standing up, screaming about how it was time to stop global warming, time to prevent the harsh effects of Climate Change that could turn out to be very real if they didn’t do something now.

Steve loved watching the world change, but seeing something where the class divide didn’t even divide people, it was heart-warming and beautiful. It started to fill up the news, started to be an issue everyone cared about. Sure, they had cars that hovered, computers that were being revolutionised in Tony’s spare time, and a world that had fewer wars the more time went on. Everyone was at peace, which led to something amazing happening.

This care about Earth and everything on it.

They were visiting Howard, trying to work out what they should get for Tony’s birthday. Howard had composed a list of all Tony’s likes and dislikes to help them out. It was fairly long and very detailed. Howard was a good father who had nurtured Tony every step of the way, and it showed. Bucky had just shoved the list into his pocket when Tony came sprinting into the living room.

“Finally! Dad! I managed to miniaturise it! Oh, hi Uncle Steve, Uncle Buck.”

Howard stood from the couch, a little slow. When did that happen? When did Howard become slow and… old? “Miniaturise what, pumpkin?”

Tony rolled his eyes at the name before a huge grin sprawled out on his face. “The Arc Reactor!”

“You did? Really?”

“Yes!”

Howard rushed over to Tony and pulled him into a massive hug. “I’m so proud of you, pumpkin.”

Tony hugged back, smiling. “Thank you, Dad.”

“Okay… Right…” Howard backed out from the hug, holding Tony’s shoulders. “Remember how I theorised a new element?”

“Yeah…?”

“I hid the information in the Stark Expo model, wanna look at it with me? It’s needed for the Arc Reactor to be what it was always meant to be.”

Tony furrowed his brow. “You needed it to be smaller.”

“Yes… I could never figure how without the new element.” Howard smiled, ruffling Tony’s hair. “You’re better than me.”

“Dad…” Tony fixed his hair. “Wanna come with, Uncle Steve, Uncle Buck?”

“Sure, Tony,” Steve said.

Tony led them all to a room in the back of the mansion which was full of posters of all the Stark Expos that have ever been. And in the middle. The City of the Future. A dream of Howard’s, and like all of his dreams, it was becoming a reality. Of course, in true eccentric fashion, Howard walked straight up to the model and ripped the Earth feature right off it. He threw it up a couple times in his hand, only a few centimetres, clearly it was delicate.

“What does this look like, Tony?” he asked.

Tony reached out to grab the thing. Howard passed it to him, and Tony looked at it in awe. “A goddamn atom, Dad.”

“But what is it exactly?”

“Nothing I’ve ever seen.” His lips curled upwards. “Got plans for its structure?”

Howard smiled and took the Earth model back into his hands, pressing a section of it, which opened up the base. It had a small folded cube of paper inside. He reset the model and handed it back to Tony. Unfolding the paper, he revealed the element’s atomic structure.

“Badassium,” Tony whispered. “Can we call it that? Because it’s badass and cool?”

“Yeah, pumpkin. We can call it that.”

Tony jumped a little, pacing on the spot. “Right, we need a particle accelerator. A good one, not any old thing. We need to build our own, I can do that.” He threw the model Earth between his hands. “What’s it based off, the Tesseract?”

“Yeah.”

“So, it can generate energy.”

Howard nodded, a proud glint in his eyes. “Ye _p_.”

“Completely clean then… If we make the new element, combine it with the smaller Arc Reactors… They could power anything. Put them in every house! Apartment buildings! Cars, motorbikes, everything!”

Howard refolded the paper. “You’ve got it, pumpkin.”

Tony grinned, half fist pumping the air. “This is it! This is everything we ever wanted.”

“All thanks to you,” Steve said, glancing between Tony and Howard. “With perhaps a little help from your dad.”

“We’re proud of you, Tony,” Bucky asserted, grinning at him. “You were meant to save the world.”

“We all were.” Tony set the Earth model back where it belonged. “And once the Arc Reactor is done… that’s it… That’s the energy industries done for. No more fossil fuels. No more. Just energy, forever. And a little maintenance but that’s it.”

“With this element, pumpkin, we’ll never have to worry. This is our dream, and it’s your future.”

Tony hugged Howard again, brief yet soft. “Thank you, for being you.”

Howard had such an earnest glint in his eyes. “I wouldn’t be me without you.”

“To the future,” Steve whispered, remembering a toast so old. From 1946. They wished for the future then, and here it was. It could only get better when the new generation grew up, and they would surprise the older with their ideas. Steve just knew it. Bigotry would end, the world wouldn’t have to worry about heating itself to death and… people could live without suffering.

Wouldn’t that be a future and a half?

\--

First it was Michael. The funeral was lovely, Clara cried her heart out and Christopher stood over his grave for an hour. Sharon wouldn’t stop crying, and Steve could barely believe she was twelve. At least she’d had her granddad for that long. Flo was upset too, repeatedly hugging Christopher.

Peggy hugged a picture of him, sitting in the church, crying softly. Everyone bounded round to give her support. Dum Dum told jokes about all the times Michael would sit out on the fun, which Peggy was doing now. To which she remarked that a wake was not fun. Jim and Gabe tried to get her to stand, to at least make it to the wake. Howard cried a little, barely being able to look at Peggy.

Steve and Bucky stood at the distance watching this. They gave support, sure, but every time they got close, Peggy looked at them with sharp eyes of distress. Like they’d betrayed her by being young, unable to die of illness. Michael had succumbed to dementia of all things to happen to a person…

They eventually got Peggy to the wake, and everyone chatted tenderly about Michael. He had been a good man, a brilliant man. Good father, good brother when it mattered. And now he was gone.

Then the century changed from 20th to 21st. The celebrations were amazing, and Tony had to reassure everyone at Stark Industries and SHIELD that the computers were _not_ going to break. Fury and Coulson had supposedly spent the celebrations with each other, which suggested that Fury did have an intact heart after becoming Director, and that he and Coulson _were_ friends, despite Fury saying they weren’t.

Steve, Bucky, Howard, Dum Dum, Gabe and Jim met up in New York, setting up a video connection with Peggy, Angie, Theo and Lee, using Tony’s brand-new technology he was developing with holographics that glitched and barely stayed up. But the cameras worked… almost. And the experimental internet connection Howard had worked on scarcely managed to hold on.

They celebrated together, with a little schnapps. It was only a shame Monty had dropped off the face of the Earth, otherwise they would have had him on a connection, or flew him over if he was up to it medically.

And… shit, if everyone wasn’t old.

A new century meant they were edging nearer and nearer to one-hundred-year-old birthdays. Dum Dum would be first, if he made it. Then Monty… It hurt to think about.

Until… Monty was second in so few years.

He was barely eighty-seven, it was barely 2001. At the very least he’d seen the new century… Not that anyone had really been in contact with him for a long time. He’d planned his own funeral before his death, and while he retired to a village, he never found someone to live with. He had close friends though, which was how they found out about his funeral. Steve and Bucky flew out with everyone, once all of them were medically cleared to fly.

Which… was a thing that was normal now.

Monty requested them all to wear one burgundy item. Which ended up with hairclips for Angie, a hat for Peggy, Dum Dum had a pin. Howard went overboard and had a burgundy suit. Gabe had a band for his watch. Jim had quite the warming scarf (he looked really frail though, he was ill with something. Cancer maybe). Theo and Lee both wore burgundy eyeshadow, bold and dark. Steve and Bucky went simple with a tie, they couldn’t really let themselves be joyful about anything to do with these funerals.

Not when it came to the Invaders.

It was watching their lives, everyone they knew, slip away. It wasn’t fair to see them die like this, their friends old, while the serum made them young. And yet, here they fucking were.

Monty’s funeral was bloody lovely, as he’d say. Everything he wanted, since he’d planned it. Right down to playing ‘Burning Down the House’ as he was taken to be cremated. Goddamn Monty, what a bloody good guy.

Steve would keep the word bloody close to him forever, it may have felt weird to him as an American, but it was something Monty once never stopped saying. It was important.

Then, as if to add insult to injury.

Jim. 2002.

Kenneth, his youngest son, had to be pried from the coffin, so they could bury Jim. Steve and Bucky had to coax him off it, and Steve felt like a monster for doing that to someone who was grieving.

Theo. 2004.

Lee. 2004.

Three days after Theo, it was Lee, who actually died of heartbreak. Peggy and Angie cried for days on end, right through from planning the funerals to the thing itself, to the aftermath days later. Ruth and Ben were in equal amounts of sadness, crying over their dads, and how they’d lost the best parents. Steve and Bucky could sympathise, losing Theo and Lee was losing part of their close family.

Parts of them were being torn out, crushed to pieces and served back to them in the form of a funeral.

Steve could hardly take it. But he would, because he had to.

Didn’t have a damn choice.

It had always been inevitable. Now it was here, though, it didn’t feel real.

Felt like this had all been a dream and he’d really crashed the plane into the Arctic, and Bucky had fallen from the train.

But no, life wasn’t that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost on to the movies!!! :D
> 
> This chapter was one of the ones that was quite hard to write, especially the last bit.  
> So, leave a comment if you enjoyed :)


	13. Badass

“Black Widow,” Steve said, sliding a file over to Nick. “She’s becoming too much of a problem.”

“You wanna take her out?” Nick wondered idly, reading the file.

Bucky stood, tapping on the interactive whiteboard with a pen. It shifted to the next slide, information all about their own assassin. “Clint Barton would be ideal. You recruited him, Nick. We know he’s good, but is he good enough for this?”

Nick hummed. “He’s quick on reflexes, maybe even quicker than you two.”

Steve didn’t necessarily want to assassinate someone who was likely raised in the Red Room. It had been something in connection with Leviathan, and the only part of the organisation they could never reach. It was hidden, but it had existed. Underwood had always been proof of it, and that mission that got Junior killed. It had been very real, and any elite spy to come out of Russia that was a young woman, had more than likely been trained by the Red Room.

However, it seemed Black Widow was the last, and any reports of the Red Room still existing had ceased in the mid to late ‘90s. Maybe because of the Soviet Union collapsing. Could have been a lack of funding.

“It’s possible she could be saved, but the risk is too high,” Steve said. “Her threat level is as high as mine if I were to go rogue. _That’s_ how dangerous she is.”

Nick blinked at Steve. “I didn’t know you had a threat level.”

“We both do, it’s fairly secret,” Bucky said, sitting back down. “Even for a director such as yourself. Not even Peggy or Howard know about our evaluation of ourselves.”

“Because you’re anti-corruption, you have to know the risk of your own corruption.”

“Exactly.”

Steve glanced out the window of their conference room. “Like Black Widow, we could take out entire governments before anyone knew we were there.” He looked to Nick, his stare stern. “I want you to be very aware that we’re not immune to evil. If you ever find evidence that we need to be taken out, don’t hesitate.”

Nick furrowed his brow, looking at Steve as if he was crazy. “You won’t become corrupt. You’re the two most accomplished agents.”

Bucky scoffed, brushing his hand over the table. “We can relate to the assassins of the organisation.”

“What… has happened to you both over the years?”

“We’ve been betrayed so many times, we’ve lost count. We assassinated almost all of HYDRA within eight months. We hunted Leviathan agents if they got too close to artifacts. And we’ve crossed so many lines, I don’t remember which line we crossed first.”

Steve bit at his lip, nodding. “Maybe it was when we killed outside of war, or maybe it was when we agreed to go after Leviathan. Either way, we understand the importance of ensuring someone like Black Widow is stopped, because she could kill us all without blinking an eye.”

“I’ll send Hawkeye to Russia then.” Nick stood. “If that’s all…”

Bucky eyed him sharply. “Just ensure Black Widow is the only KGB agent we have to worry about right now.”

“I will.”

Nick left the room. Goose crawled out from under the conference table and followed him proudly. Steve was surprised Nick still kept Goose in any base, after she nearly ate an agent for accidentally stepping on her tail. But Goose was growing older, maybe she needed a peaceful retirement rather than hanging out at bases. From Lawson’s speech on Flerken, they knew the species had a lifespan of around twenty-five to thirty years. Goose was about twenty-two now. She had years left, but she was effectively a happy old lady.

“So,” Steve drawled, resting back in his chair, “did you get the same text as me from Tony?”

“The one about the new car?”

“Yeah.”

Bucky smiled; Steve could see pride in his features. “Hover branching out to be a little more like flying.”

“All thanks to the Arc Reactor.”

“Yep.”

Steve sighed peacefully. “He’s thinking of making that suit, you know?”

“I know. Told me it might just protect the world.”

“I don’t want him to be in trouble.”

“He can take care of himself, Steve. He was raised by loving parents and had spies for an auntie and uncles. Not to mention Angie and her acting. Tony could talk himself out of anything.”

“Yeah… just… This might be the Avengers Initiative Nick has always wanted, since Danvers.” Steve played with the hem of his suit jacket. “Think about it… The team could be me, you, Hawkeye, maybe Tony and his suit? But that would only be if the world became any more dangerous than it already is.”

Bucky placed his hand on Steve’s arm. “We can only hope it won’t, but we’ll see what this decade brings next.”

\--

“Romanoff, that’s your name, right?” Bucky asked, sitting down opposite the Black Widow herself. She’d defected from Russia, after Barton disobeyed orders and recruited her instead of killing her. Which seemed to be the right call.

So, as part of her integration into SHIELD, they were going to ask simple questions in the comfy environment of a room flooding with natural light and comfy couches. Romanoff had decided to sit on the beanbag, however, while Bucky sat on a couch and Steve stood. He felt a little too on edge to sit.

“Yes,” she replied simply. “And you’re both the Winter Soldiers to criminals. White Wolf and Nomad as your own codenames out in the field. But you’re really Director Steve Rogers and Director Bucky Barnes, born in 1918 and 1917 respectively. Super soldiers, best friends… or more? And the most formidable agents to ever exist.”

Steve lifted his chin. “You’ve done your research.”

“The Red Room taught us about you.” She scowled. “You were the ultimate enemy we could never face. You have over a hundred kills credited to your names. The KGB would never dream to come near you.”

“Nice to know we’re feared,” Bucky said, huffing a laugh.

“You always were. After rumours spread about you killing all of HYDRA no matter how hidden they had been, Leviathan grew scared when you came after them.” Romanoff shrugged. “The only point in time you weren’t feared was before WWII. You are heroes here, but you are the scariest enigmas anywhere else.”

“Why tell us this?”

“Because I understand being feared. No one trusts you because you could kill everyone in a building without much effort. Except, you two would have the stamina to keep going and going and going…” She pursed her lips. “I hope I can leave behind my cruel past and form a new path. If you can be who you are and still be good, then I can too.”

Steve smiled slightly. “We’d have to keep watch on you.”

“I understand.”

“But only for the first couple years. If you truly want to change sides, we will help you.” He glanced to Bucky, then to Romanoff. There was a person who had gotten through to her, and in this life, you needed someone who would stick to your side. “Would you like to be partnered with Barton?”

Romanoff’s eyes lit up. “You would allow me to?”

“We want to make this transition easier for you.”

“Then, yes. He saw my skills and managed to find a scrap of good in me, I’d like to learn what he saw.”

Bucky leant forward, elbows resting on his knees. “All we need from you is three things. Or three answers to three questions.”

“Okay?”

“Is the Red Room still active?”

“No. I was the last to graduate before the programme was ended.”

“Would you be alright with going on field missions where you might have to assassinate someone?”

“Yes, as long as you give the order.”

“Finally,” Bucky began, his eyes flicking to Steve. He nodded, knowing exactly what the question would be and that it would be welcomed, “where would you like to live?”

Romanoff raised her eyebrows, her eyes slightly widened. “You’re not going to keep me captive?”

“You want us to trust you, we’re gonna trust you,” Steve said. “Now, you can live in New York, Washington DC, in Barton’s apartment that he barely spends time in.”

“I… I don’t know.”

“You’re only twenty years old,” Bucky whispered. “Only twenty and your life has been hectic… If you’re unsure maybe you could stay with us for a few days while you do research.”

“Why… would you do that?”

Bucky stared distantly at Romanoff. Steve had a feeling over what he was thinking about. “You aren’t the first brainwashed person we’ve helped.”

They were all aware the Red Room brainwashed the girls… Romanoff had clearly broken away from some of that. In ways, this was a lot like Michael.

“Then… Okay. I’ll live with you until I decide where to live.” She smiled softly. “Thank you…”

“I’m sorry we ordered to have you killed. But I’m glad Barton went against that,” Steve said, hoping he sounded sincere.

“I’m dangerous… But your kindness here,” She gestured to the room, “other organisations would lock me up until I pleaded allegiance or asserted my loyalty on a mission.”

“We’ve experienced too much to make that mistake.”

Romanoff rested her hand over her chest. “I suppose you’ve seen it all.”

“Not all,” Bucky said. “But enough.”

She twisted her mouth. “I can relate to that.”

\--

Living with Natasha had been strange. She outstayed her original time period of a few days by a month or so. She became a friend quickly, being around them whenever they were home. She spent time getting to know them, excitedly asking about everything she’d ever heard about, and unlearning the lies she had been taught.

The world wasn’t black and white, there were sides, but one wasn’t necessarily superior to the other. It only mattered if you chose to be a good person or not.

Natasha had quickly chosen her own name, similar to her real one but different enough. She was becoming a new person, and it was nice to see her develop. She eventually moved out to stay in a SHIELD New York apartment. She warned the both of them that if she found bugs, she would burn the apartment down. Steve and Bucky weren’t that stupid and would never monitor their agents in such a way. People needed privacy and it wasn’t how they worked. Anti-corruption only monitored an agent in such ways if they had proof of criminal activity already and were trying to fish for information.

In turn, Natasha was very happy to find out her apartment was clean. Clint helped her get settled in and hung out at her house for two days straight before disappearing. Probably to go to his own home, to his secret wife and baby son. Only Steve, Bucky and Nick knew about it. Maybe Clint would tell Natasha one day. Wouldn’t that be nice?

The months went on and Natasha was sent on her first mission with Clint. It was a rousing success, quelling any fears Nick still had over the whole situation. They really had a brilliant agent on their side. If anything, it showed that kindness was everything in the world.

2005 came along at an alarming rate. The years slipped so easily amongst SHIELD and… everything that happened this days. With the kids, with the short breaks Steve and Bucky took to get away from everything. Months just kept passing.

For once, Steve was away from Bucky, taking a stroll around the Academy of Operations, seeing how it had improved over the years and what required a change. It had the latest technology, including Tony’s holographics, a technology that was overtaking monitors, improving computers and any interactivity with them. Consumers loved it; SHIELD needed it every day of the week. The Academy also had the best teachers SHIELD had to offer, and regularly had top level agents popping down for a quick session.

Normally those sessions ended up with an injured student or two, but it was all in the name of protecting the world. So, a broken bone here and there was worth it.

He was just about to crash a session on how to throw knives correctly, when he caught a familiar face. He’d know the guy anywhere, considering he was one of the many children.

“Antoine!” Steve shouted, joy seeping into his voice.

Antoine swirled around, stalking up to Steve, his eyes hard. “ _Director Rogers_! It’s lovely to meet you.” He glanced over his shoulder and sighed. “Here, I’m Trip. Okay? I don’t want people treating me differently, come on.”

“Because of your grandfather, and me.”

“Exactly. People haven’t forgotten the Howling Commandos.”

Steve twisted his mouth. “We were never called that in the war… Has your grandfather been spreading that lie _again_?”

Antoine furrowed his brow. “Then what were you called?”

“The Invaders. Our team broke up after the war, but Dum Dum carried it on with new members. One of those members, Junior, called them the Howling Commandos. We all agreed it sounded better, but it’s only in the last decade or so that your grandfather stopped calling us the Invaders in favour of the other name.”

“Damn… Grandfather Gabe lied to me.” Antoine frowned for a second before smiling. “Thanks, Uncle Steve. That knowledge is invaluable to me.”

“Hey! Trip! What are you doing?” a voice called, heading towards them. Steve recognised the young woman, with brown hair tied back in a bun. Coulson had flagged her up for having potential. If he remembered correctly, she was called Maria Hill.

Antoine turned to Hill. “Look who I found. Director Rogers.”

Hill came to a stop by Antoine and nodded towards Steve. “Nice to meet you, Sir.”

“Ah, the pleasure is all mine. I like to see the new generation of agents every now and again.”

Hill tapped Antoine’s shoulder a couple times. “Come on, we’re never going to get a slice of lemon drizzle if we don’t hurry.” Her eyes flicked to Steve. “Sorry, Sir.”

“Oh, no, you go right ahead. I hear that cake is to die for.”

Antoine laughed. “Thanks, Sir. Perhaps we’ll meet another time.”

“Perhaps.” He smiled at Antoine’s comment, since he knew fine well that he and Bucky would never miss his upcoming birthday. He watched as he and Hill sped away, heading towards the cafeteria. They were young and had all the time in the world to become good agents.

More than ever, it felt as if Steve was being left behind. Because he and Bucky were the uncles of these kids, and none of them were kids anymore. Not the children, not the grandchildren. Antoine and Sharon were both adults now and would turn twenty-three and nineteen respectively this year. Both had showed great interest in SHIELD. Sharon was preparing to go to the Academy of Communications just to get into SHIELD quicker and Antoine would graduate in a few months. He’d be a specialist, out in the field.

Steve could hardly believe any of it.

He was just about to head to the class he’d been originally going to, when his phone rang. He answered it straight away, wanting nothing more than to get back to what he was doing and stop feeling like his life was a burden. But it wasn’t that simple.

“Sir, the rumours are true. Thaddeus Ross was working on a project called, Bio-Tech Force Enhancement. Recreating the Super Soldier Serum.”

“Fuck… Thank you, Hartley. What other info do you have?”

“One of the scientists experimented on himself. But that’s all I know. The site has been shut down.”

“What was the scientist’s name?”

“Dr Banner. I’ve been locked out on any further information.”

“Thank you. Report to Director Fury to be reassigned to another mission, I’ll take this from here.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Steve hung up and flipped his phone in his hand. “Well… fuck.”

\--

Once Steve told Bucky about the information, they agreed to assign Natasha and Clint to the case. It soon came about that there was some kind of green monster on the loose, passing over into Canada. There were even some shaky pictures of it. Steve had a suspicion, from Hartley’s report, that this could have been Banner. The report stated that Banner had used gamma radiation and didn’t know fully what he was working on.

Steve knew the risks of gamma radiation, and using that instead of vita, was dangerous. It was any wonder at all that a serum had worked on Steve and Bucky and kept them as they were, compared to what had happened to Banner.

By the time the later half of the year came along, and Banner was sighted less and less, not at all helped by Natasha and Clint being transferred to other missions, Steve and Bucky decided to give good ol’ General Ross a visit.

He was out of his office when they got to the base he was stationed at for the time being. Instead, he was out on the grounds. So, being the consistently dramatic agents they were, Bucky sat in his seat while Steve sat on the arm. They chatted as small bit as they waited for the General, and while they could talk all day, Steve was glad when he heard an echo of heavy footsteps coming directly towards the office.

The door opened, and Ross stood stock still as he noticed Steve and Bucky. “What can I help you with, boys?” he asked as he stepped into his office, closing the door.

Steve raised an eyebrow. “You know who we are?”

“Most do, in the army.”

“Did you really think we wouldn’t find out about your little experiment?” Bucky asked, tilting his head in the way that was terrifying, with darkness in his eyes.

Ross edged further into the room. “After 9/11, I had to do something. The army needs to be strong.”

“Bullshit. That’s what they all say.” Bucky huffed a breath. “Phillips wanted an army, and he got one man who could easily match all of HYDRA. Zola wanted an army, but realised I had the potential to be his most effective weapon.” He levelled Ross with a glare. “You don’t need super soldiers; the serum is far too dangerous.”

“Good becomes great, bad becomes worse,” Steve quoted. “If you ever perfect it, ever get it close to what we have, you risk losing good people.”

“My soldiers _are_ good people. What are you suggesting?”

Steve folded his arms. What was the best way to explain this? “Before the serum I was an angry sick frustrated guy trying to do the right thing when no one else would.” He noticed Ross lift an eyebrow at that. “After the serum I cared about doing the right thing _so much_ , I often disregarded any logic. But I was still that kid too. I was angrier, I had to learn to control that. I realised my past devotion to Barnes was amplified. The darkest parts of myself were also stronger but were balanced out.”

“ _If_ one of your soldiers received a perfect serum,” Bucky continued, his voice a little taut, “and they were, say, overly arrogant as their main trait, they could become more sociopathic. I know personally that love and protectiveness can easily turn to aggressive possessiveness if you don’t learn to control it and face those emotions head on. And you won’t be able to get drunk to forget.”

He was referencing that time in the bar, when Steve was asking everyone to join him. Bucky didn’t mention it often, but that assertion of what could happen needed to be said here. Emotions, feelings, parts of yourself, the serum targeted it all. It didn’t care who you were, it only made you more than before.

“You’re only trying to scare me, and it won’t work,” Ross said.

“Yeah? And what about Banner and his alter ego?” Steve asked, smiling a little as Ross showed mild surprise at that. “You do realise we’ve been playing this game since the ‘40s, right? Hiding things from us is a difficult task, and you failed it.”

“Banner and his Hulk are irrelevant.”

“You lied to the guy and look what happened. His own version of the serum has twisted him in a unique way.” Steve sighed. “But, you did that. This project did that to him. You bring him in, and what do you gain?”

“We lock a dangerous monster away so he can’t hurt anyone.”

Bucky shrugged. “Sure you do. But you lock away a good scientist and an innocent man because of something you became obsessed with.” He looked to the wall, to the door, to Ross. “I don’t see you experimenting on yourself, but then, you knew that Banner wasn’t working on a serum to prevent radiation poisoning.”

Ross narrowed his eyes at Bucky. “Are you accusing me of something?”

“SHIELD could have you locked up for the project alone… So, General Ross, this is nothing more than a warning. If you catch Dr Banner, inform us immediately. If you don’t, and you choose to lock him up, you will deal with the consequences.”

“You can’t lock up a General.”

Steve smirked. “Well, we have the power to make sure you’re not a General when we throw you in a SHIELD prison. Choose wisely, General Ross.”

Ross clenched his jaw. “Get out of here before I get this entire base on your asses.”

Bucky stood while Steve slipped off the arm of the chair. “Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, General.”

“Yes,” Steve said. “I hope you think on what we said.”

As they walked out of his office, Ross grumbled, “Damn SHIELD.”

\--

Banner wasn’t much of a problem, which was only a benefit to the whole situation. Tony was sure he could help Banner, but reasoned that it might not have been necessary, as they couldn’t be certain how much control Banner had when he was the Hulk.

As 2006 came and went, and no one died (thank god), Steve and Bucky only got closer to Natasha and Clint. They may have been friends from work essentially, but so were their past friends. And for the first time, it felt like when their old friends, their family, all slipped away, they would still have people on the other side. Because while they had the children, they were their uncles, not their friends.

Even if Tony always made sure they knew he was there for them as a friend, they would always be his uncles. Apparently, it didn’t matter if they were his family. He compared it to hanging out with Howard, it was nice and different to an everyday friend, according to him.

Of course, with Tony being Tony, a year of his life wouldn’t be a year without a big achievement. He’d invited everyone to the mansion. And by everyone, that meant the whole extended family who could be persuaded to come along to watch Tony show off his new experiment. (Or more, the new thing that would set him further in the lead with the competition). So, Ruth, Ben and Christopher were there in person.

And even though Christopher had technically won years back, with all Tony was doing all the time, the children agreed to say he was in the lead to be second. Although, Ruth had been the president for a number of years. She had a feeling she would lose out to the up and coming Obama by the next election, however. Ben had his newspaper and had the full trust of the public, often people begged him to cover a topic as Ben was so thorough with all the facts and told it plainly. They had all won in their own ways.

Peggy and Angie were set up with a video call, displayed on a holographic – which was positioned on the couch. Gabe and Dum Dum luckily lived in New York still, so it was easy to drive them over.

Howard and Maria sat proudly on their own armchairs, waiting for their son (to win). Rhodey was present, sitting on the floor, for some reason. For a military man, he was a little bit of a strange one sometimes. But, then again, he was best friends with Tony Stark. You had to be a special person to match Tony, to gel with him as such a close friend.

Sharon was there for the fun of it, as she put it. And Antoine decided the last thing he wanted to see was his cousin showing off, although, he _was_ on a mission. Kenneth was apparently too busy catching up with marking homework to take the quick drive over but was set up on his own video call (he looked so much like Jim now it was eerie). Finally, Natasha and Clint were there because Steve and Bucky had adopted them in.

Steve and Bucky hovered by the couch, letting everyone else take up the seats comfortably. They waited with great anticipation for Tony to appear before them with whatever he had done now. Steve could see the pride in Howard’s eyes and the adoring look in Maria’s, so he knew fine well that they had a good idea of what was coming.

The rest of them, however, waited with bated breath.

“Get ready! I’m coming out!” Tony shouted from the other room.

Sharon groaned, her head hitting off the back of the couch. “Why is he like this?”

“It’s because of him,” Bucky said, pointing to Howard.

“Ah, well… I accept full responsibility.”

Peggy gasped. “Did you hear that, Angie?”

“I did.” Angie smirked. “I can’t believe you admit something is your fault, Howard.”

“Shh!” Rhodey exclaimed. Steve had no doubt he knew too. “The door is opening!”

Tony stepped out in the goddamn metal suit he’d theorised a few years back. With an Arc Reactor sitting proudly in the middle. It had a red and gold colour scheme and was a little chunky but less so than the original holographic designs Tony had once showed Steve and Bucky. The face plate lifted up, and Tony grinned, spinning around in the huge metal thing.

“Holy mother of god,” Kenneth said, as everyone else was stunned speechless. “Reminds me of a kid’s drawing with that colour scheme.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Thanks Kenneth, love you too.”

Kenneth mimed a heart with his hands and went back to marking.

“It looks great, pumpkin,” Howard said, clapping twice. “Amazing.”

Maria nodded, sending that adoring look straight to Tony. “Perfect, darling.”

Angie peered closer, almost covering up the whole camera. “It looks dumb.”

Peggy elbowed her. “Shush, Tony’s proud of it.”

“Auntie Angie?” Tony murmured with a pout. “You don’t like it?”

“Tony… I like it, it’s just… big.”

“Clunky, she means clunky and a little ugly,” Sharon said, dragging a hand down her face. “Why did I come here?”

“Because you were unwise?” Natasha retorted with a smirk. “I think you’re right, Sharon. It’s clunky, but it’s also nice…?”

Tony twisted a little, showing it off. “Nice how?”

“Dunno, I might like to fight in one sometime.”

“I’ll let you.”

Clint eyed it for a second but before he got a word out, Dum Dum shouted, “It looks awesome, Iron Man!” He raised a whiskey flask. Steve wasn’t sure a ninety-six-year-old should be drinking so much but hey ho.

“Is it iron?” Gabe asked, grinning. Good ol’ Gabe had always been a fan of bizarre creations, and this was one hell of an invention.

“No, it’s a gold-titanium alloy. But sure, let’s call it an Iron Man suit.” Tony chuckled to himself. “Better than my name anyway.”

“What did you come up with?” Ruth cocked her head. “Something stupid I’m guessing.”

“Well, I was gonna call it the Badass Suit to match Badassium.”

“Badassium Man!” Clint said, beaming. “Metal Badass? Iron Badass?”

Tony tilted his head. “Those are… all valid names, Clint.”

“Thank you.”

“But I prefer Iron Man now.”

“Aw…”

“Unpredictable as always.” Ben whipped out his notepad. “So, tell me, Mr Stark, what inspired you to make the suit?”

“Really, Ben, here?”

Ben smirked. “It’s my job?”

“Can you be my cousin for like…” Tony pursed his lips, slightly shaking his head, “two seconds?”

“It looks great cousin Tony! I really like how the Arc Reactor glows!” Ben slipped from a joyful expression to his journalist one. “Answer the question, Stark.”

“I wanna protect the world, Mr Carter. There are threats everyday with war, and we never know what’s out there, do we?” Tony knew well of the kinda things that were out there, however. “Maybe it’s time to add a bit of flair to surveillance, as the suit is able to fly to great heights. It is also capable of repulsor blasts, which can subdue an enemy.”

“Thank you, Mr Stark.”

Tony stuck out his tongue. “Okay, Ben.”

“I just can’t wait till you give me one,” Rhodey said. “Because I _am_ getting one.”

“Yeah, you will Rhodey. Because I treasure you like that.”

Rhodey grinned and Tony beamed back at him.

“I can’t believe we’re all just sitting here with Tony standing in a weapon,” Christopher said, chuckling. “What a crazy world.”

“It must be, with all of us, since you’re a baker,” Tony remarked. Yes, everyone in this room had either been in the military, in SHIELD or had faced great dangers. The only exception was perhaps Maria. Since Angie had faced off with men in the most misogynistic time period while being in the film industry. Ruth being the president put her at risk. And Ben being a journalist did too (it didn’t help that he went to active war zones though).

“Yep.” Christopher folded his arms. “Even my own daughter lives in all of your crazy worlds.”

Sharon grinned at her dad, shooting him with finger guns.

Bucky scoffed. “It’s not that crazy.” All eyes snapped to Bucky, suggesting he was on some bullshit there. “Okay… Maybe aliens do make it crazy.”

“Ya think?” Tony said, smiling. “So, Uncle Buck, Uncle Steve, what do you think?”

“Well, I think these suits could be very important indeed,” Steve began, slipping into his tactical voice. “While a sleeker design would be cool, the fact that you have managed to create it at all is a great feat.”

“Thanks, Uncle Steve. I appreciate that.” Tony glanced to Sharon and narrowed his eyes at her, she shrugged at him.

“On the other hand,” Bucky grinned, “oh my god! It’s sooo awesome! Almost as cool as the first hovercar like holy shit, Tony. Wow.”

“Hey! Language!” Dum Dum said. “There are kids here.”

“What kids?” Ruth countered. “And you can hardly say anything about language, Uncle Tim.”

Dum Dum nodded, tilting his head back and forth. “Fair, fair.”

 Bucky pointed to the suit. “Can I touch it?”

“I’m getting weird déjà vu here.” Tony grinned at Bucky’s eye roll. He walked over, extending his arm to Bucky. “Go ahead.”

Bucky tapped and poked at the metal. Once again, Steve was amazed by the love of his life. Just when he thought he’d seen every expression, here was Bucky with his eyes bugging out of their sockets, a huge grin on his face, his entire demeanour uplifted. Steve loved him so damn much when he was like this.

“Wow, Tony. You outdid yourself this time.”

Tony’s eyes crinkled with the compliment. “Thanks, Uncle Buck.”

\--

“Tony told Howard to tell me to tell you two that he’s got a girlfriend,” Peggy said, looking smug. Huh. It was unusual for Tony to go through two other people to tell them something. Although… it was possible it was because they teased Tony one too many times when it came to dating. The guy concentrated more on his inventions than any woman.

“Tony? A girlfriend?” Bucky gaped at the screen. “What?”

“Yes. Pepper Potts. She works at Stark Industries.” Peggy smiled, you could see the pride in her eyes for Tony. “What did you do to Tony to make him communicate this so complicatedly?”

Steve chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “We may tease him… a lot.”

“A lot?” Angie asked, appearing in the shot. She sat next to Peggy, pressing against her side like always. “I heard you both teasing him about soulmates and ‘the one’ once. He later confided in me, saying that you scared him.”

“Oh, shit… We found a way to break Tony,” Bucky murmured. “So, that’s why he’s apprehensive to speak directly.”

“ _Yeah_.”

Peggy shrugged. “Tony also said that Pepper is like one of us, she’s ruthless.”

“A good match for him then.”

“Absolutely.” Peggy leant her head against Angie’s. “You have to find someone who counters you but matches you too.”

“Oh, undeniably,” Angie whispered, stroking her hand down Peggy’s side.

Even now, even in their old age, they were cute and so in love.

“Well, thanks for telling us.” Steve pretended to get up. “We’re going to tease Tony now.”

“Steve!” Peggy shouted.

Steve laughed and sat back down. “I’m just kidding, jeez.”

Bucky shook his head, chuckling along. He rested his head on Steve’s shoulder. “You’re being dramatic, doll.”

“When am I not?” He kissed the top of Bucky’s head before concentrating back on Peggy and Angie. “We’re still gonna be on his case, teasing Tony is our job these days.”

“Why?” Angie furrowed her brow. “What did he ever do to you?”

“Nothing. He’s Howard’s son and in every way he’s like him, when it comes to dating, his youth just hasn’t been the same.” He shrugged. “Easy to mess with him.”

“Ugh,” Peggy uttered. “You _are_ an arsehole, just like I said all those years ago.”

Bucky gasped, placing his hand over his chest. “Water is wet?”

Steve nodded; this was no shock to him. “Water is wet.”


	14. Progress

“I have concerns about Project TAHITI,” Coulson said, whisking into their office. “Fury is adamant we need this project in case of a fallen Avenger, but that’s if the initiative goes ahead in the first place.”

Steve nodded, finishing typing his sentence. “I understand your concerns, Agent Coulson. We have already decided, as anti-corruption, that Project TAHITI will be shut down. The benefits do not outweigh the risks.”

Bucky stood and handed Coulson their file on Project TAHITI. “Not even Director Fury can go over us. And if you’re concerned, we accept that. Your opinions and insight into issues have always been useful to us.”

“Fury is the perfect example of a wartime leader.” Steve shut off his monitor, leaving his work behind for now. “But he’s needed in case of an immediate emergency. We’re the ones who ensure not even SHIELD has godlike powers that would go against our very principles as an organisation.” He gestured to the file. “We’re sending the Kree corpse to Slingshot, as well as every single sample. We’ll oversee it ourselves and the scientists involved will be sent back to the Academy to be re-evaluated and retrained.”

“What about me?” Coulson asked, reading the file.

“You can decide what you want to do. You’ve earned that much.”

“I’d like to go back out in the field, Sir.”

Bucky nodded, handing another file to Coulson. “There’s an undercover op that could do with your expertise. Hammer Industries have been trying to recreate the Iron Man suits. As you well know, they are patented by Stark Industries and owned by SHIELD. They’re for protection, not killing machines.”

Coulson glanced over the file. “And Hammer Industries create weapons for the army... Used incorrectly, innocents could die.”

“Precisely, the technology is dangerous and if it was common use in the army– I’m not having another HYDRA-like problem on our hands,” Steve said. Powerful weapons were the last thing they needed, and any such thing had to be destroyed. Tony had worked hard to ensure the suits only stunned people and didn’t kill outright (but could if enough energy was used). “All we need to know is, if they’re close to any kind of Arc Reactor. If they’re not, we have nothing to worry about.”

“I’ll do it, but I’d like Agent Romanoff with me.”

Bucky smiled. “I’m sure she will be happy to help. There’s nothing she loves more than undercover.”

\--

“Director Rogers, Director Barnes, welcome back to the Guest House,” an agent greeted them as they walked into the base with their own handpicked team, including Coulson.

“Thank you, Agent…?” Bucky said.

“Agent Tasker.”

“Any relation to Isabella Tasker?” Steve asked as they headed to the room with the corpse and the samples. Plenty of other artifacts still had a home here, but many had been either moved to the Lighthouse, Ragtag, or had been destroyed at Slingshot.

“She was my grandmother.” Tasker came to a stop at a door marked ‘Project T.A.H.I.T.I.’. “Here we are.”

Their agents pooled in and immediately got to work with boxing up anything associated with the project. Any research, files, computers that had any data about the samples on it. The corpse was placed in a freezer box and was carted out. Bucky followed it to ensure their agents weren’t intercepted. Making sure that corpse got shot into the sun at the end of the day took priority. Steve helped to box up the vials and stayed to guarantee every single scrap of information was taken away.

“Coulson,” Steve called as the vials were being carried to their quinjet, “I need you to make sure all this gets to the jet. I have to check on something else.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Thank you.” Steve approached Tasker, who was keeping an eye on them all, from the corner of the room. “Where is the Tesseract? And have the holding cells been upgraded with the same technology as Ragtag’s yet?”

Tasker began walking out of the room. “The Tesseract has been secured as requested, Sir. Even if the World Security Council wanted to go ahead with Project Pegasus tomorrow, they wouldn’t be able to enter the room.”

“Because of the electrical charges that would be released?”

“Yes, Sir. We managed to find the correct level that would only knock someone unconscious, not kill.”

“And it can’t be turned off?”

“It can, but it requires retinal scans of all five of the permanent agents here. Along with fingerprint scans and our own individual passwords.”

Steve smiled. “Good, good. I like that. Who came up with that?”

“It was my grandmother’s idea, but there wasn’t the technology at the time for her to implement it.”

“Your grandmother was a brilliant woman, Agent Tasker.”

Tasker’s step faltered for a second before she continued on. “She was.”

“And the holding cells?”

“They have been fully upgraded, but I can’t help but wonder why, Sir.”

They rounded a corner, where the Guest House branched out to a small cafeteria. It was brighter and homelier than the rest of the base, more like a kitchen and common room.

“If someone infiltrates the facility to try and steal anything, it’s best to keep them on site in a safe cell, until help arrives.”

Tasker raised her eyebrows. “Oh. I should have fathomed that.”

They came to a stop by a set of double doors at the other side of the room, which required a lanyard to open. As they pushed through the doors, Steve realised what room this was. Back in the day, it was where the artifacts used to be held. Except, it was completely different now.

Some artifacts lay at the far side of the room on shelves and whatnot, that were locked in impervious boxes. But there were several rooms that housed more dangerous ones. Steve had known about this, he and Bucky had ordered it to be built three years ago, but it was strange seeing it completed. They didn’t visit the Guest House as often as they should have.

The first room on the left had a solid door, more like a vault door. It had glass stretching across the wall to observe what was inside. The Tesseract. It was in the middle of the room, in a secure mechanism, surrounded by a large glass box. There were small circles on the walls and the floor, which likely gave out the electrical charges.

There was a normal door to the right of the glass and Tasker approached it, once again opening it with her lanyard. Steve took a second to observe the size of the room he was in, and how many artifacts had passed through here, only to be moved to other facilities. It was important to spread these things out. He also noticed to the right, a line of cells with Inertial Confinement Laser Barriers as their way in and out. Just like Ragtag.

Interesting that they’d built the cells in the room where the prisoners would always see what they could never obtain.

The Guest House had changed a lot over the decades, and the agents who lived here knew how best to keep it safe. Considering all it kept inside.

“Yes, this section has changed a lot recently.” Tasker was peeking her head around the door. “Come on, you were only here five years ago, it hasn’t changed that much.”

Steve hummed. “I was reminiscing.”

Tasker ushered him into the room. You could see into the Tesseract’s room from here too, which was strange, as there was no mirror on the other side. They must have used some kind of projection or holographic technology to hide the fact that people could see in.

It was essentially a control room, with panels and monitors, for everything to do with keeping an eye on the Tesseract. He could see the retina scanners on the walls, fingerprint ones on the desks and keypads that were more like keyboards sticking out from under the observation window.

The Tesseract didn’t have its own sapience, but Steve had a feeling it was self-aware to some degree, considering what it did to Schmidt. With all he knew now, it was possible the Tesseract didn’t vaporise him, but instead transported him through space. So, keeping a watch on the thing was a good idea.

“Do you think it’s safe enough, Sir?”

Steve had a good look around, he folded his arms, looking to the Tesseract. “You know what? Yeah, I think this is enough.”

\--

As May finally came into play, the Stark Expo began. Ever since the one in 2000, to mark the start of a new century, one had taken place every five years and ran for the whole year. It was amazing what inventors, engineers and scientists brought to the table. Weapons often weren’t featured at the Expo, since it didn’t better the world in both Howard’s and Tony’s opinion. But Hammer Industries had been adamant they had something to show this year, so Tony allowed it begrudgingly.

Which was a bigger mistake than anyone realised. Coulson and Natasha being stationed at Hammer Industries only brought bad news. History had come back to bite Steve, Bucky and Howard in the ass. Because Ivan Vanko, the son of Anton, had been hired by Hammer. They were working on suits, and Ivan seemed to know what he was doing in terms of Arc Reactor technology.

Which wasn’t all that great, when Coulson sent information back that Ivan wasn’t creating suits, he was creating drones. Way worse than any human in a suit could be. Because when you have an army of killer robots under your control, you could say goodbye to any kind of world you ever loved. It would be like having a gun to everyone’s head and calling it protection.

Because those drones would be snapped up by the army, and they could use them on anybody at any time. For that reason, Tony had kept any info on his suits in Ragtag’s Vault B, where important information on artifacts was also kept. It was why Tony ensured his suits could only stun and knock people unconscious, because, if they were stolen at any point, they couldn’t be used to kill.

Unfortunately, several things were happening at once. Strange atmospheric activity was detected in New Mexico. Which meant Steve, Bucky and Nick were forced to pull Coulson from Hammer Industries and Sitwell from monitoring Banner (who was back in the US all of a sudden), to send them both to investigate New Mexico.

What didn’t help was that Banner needed to be monitored, so Natasha had to be pulled out as well, to be reassigned to Banner.

It was a mess of a situation.

So, since they had to pull their agents away from Hammer Industries, Steve and Bucky did the only thing they could. They infiltrated the facility and found Ivan. Avoiding Hammer employees was easy. They’d done this same thing under far worse conditions and time constraints. This was as easy as pie. It helped that Ivan had his own breakroom, so when he went in, Steve and Bucky followed.

“Rogers and Barnes,” he said, his back turned to them as he fed his bird. “My father always blamed you both for what happened to him.”

“What happened to your father was directly caused by him selling secrets to the Russian government through the Black Market,” Bucky countered, folding his arms.

Ivan clenched his fists. “Don’t spread that lie. My father worked just as hard on the Arc Reactor and Howard Stark had him deported for it.”

“You must realise that there’s a reason your father was credited for his work but was still deported.” Steve prepared to grab his gun if things got violent.

“I should be where Tony Stark is now, my father should have had Howard’s life.”

“Tell me this isn’t blatant jealousy.” Ivan ducked his head, his fists clenching tighter. “We can show you! There’s an entire file about us catching your father selling secrets, how deporting him was the only choice since he sold _military_ secrets, and how we made sure your father was still credited.”

“Come on, Ivan. Look at the Wikipedia page for the Arc Reactor and you’ll find your father’s name,” Bucky said, pulling out his phone. He tapped upon it and a holographic popped up, showing some of the file, though some paragraphs (about what Anton sold) were redacted. “This file details the truth of what happened. Your father did great work, but _he_ messed up.”

“This doesn’t have to go the same way.” Steve took a step forward. “You don’t have to follow in your father’s footsteps. _Look_ at the file.”

Ivan slowly turned around, his fists slowly unclenching. He stared at the holographic, his eyes darting as he skimmed through the information. He let out a small whimper as he kept reading through it. The file had pictures of the evidence and had a brief transcript of Anton’s motivations. Including that he only did it for the money.

“He– He lied to me?” Ivan furrowed his brow, pointing to the holographic. “This is true?”

Bucky sighed, frowning. “It is. I’m so sorry.”

“You’re… not lying.” Ivan closed his eyes briefly. “I… can’t believe my father did that.”

“Neither could we, at the time. He was one of Howard’s closest friends once,” Steve said, remembering those days all too well.

“And he wasted it all for money.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Ivan whipped his head around, looking a little panicked. “The drones… I was going to use them to attack the Expo, to get back at the Starks but–”

Bucky tilted his head. “But now you realise there’s nothing to get back at…?”

“I have to destroy them… Hammer is not a good person; he doesn’t even create good weapons. They’re useless things.”

“You can be more than this Ivan, you’re a good engineer.” Steve thinned his lips. “Get into contact with Tony, maybe become friends. Your genius is much like your father’s, don’t waste it like he did.”

Ivan hung his head. “I’ll think about it.” He looked away, towards his bird. “For now, I have to ensure the drones can never work.”

That night, when Hammer Industries was meant to show off some great new weapon technology, a lacky turned up with the ‘Josh’. A six-barrel shotgun. Hardly anyone in the audience cared for the thing that much. It was just a gun at a science fair. Justin Hammer wasn’t even present, and Ivan was nowhere to be seen. Overall, it was another successful and peaceful night at the Stark Expo.

\--

Over the next couple of days Steve and Bucky learnt that the disturbance in New Mexico was caused by Thor, essentially an alien god, who’s hammer became stuck in the desert. Unmoveable. But during a fight with something Steve could hardly describe, just looking at a picture of it, Thor was able to pick his hammer back up and destroy it.

Which was great. They’d just experienced another alien problem that quickly sorted itself out. At least none of their agents were forced to go to space this time. But it brought up something important, how to deal with these threats and how much of a SHIELD issue was it?

Considering SHIELD specialised in mysterious artifacts, these sorts of incidents should have been their bread and butter. But they themselves couldn’t wield the evils of the past. It would go against everything Steve and Bucky had built over the years. No, they needed a team. The Avengers. Nick’s dream.

“But who will be on it?” Steve asked, furrowing his brow at Nick. They were back in a conference room, in the New York Headquarters.

“I’ve looked through military records, our own agents, Tony, James Rhodes.” Nick slapped some files down on the table. “I think, if we could get Banner on board, he’d make a great scientist for the team.”

Bucky scooped up the files. “Tony. Rhodey… Okay, obvious.” He placed each file down after reading the name. “Natasha, Clint… Yeah, okay. Banner, alright, depends on the Hulk though.” He flicked through a few others and Steve managed to catch a couple names, but no one he would recommend for the team. Bucky stopped at two files which looked overly different from the rest. “Sam Wilson? Riley Underdahl? Why them?”

Nick smiled in that way in which he knew he’d caught Steve and Bucky off-guard. “EXO-7 Falcon. You ever heard of it?”

“That experimental winged harness? Sure. You think they’ll be good on the team?”

“Well, Tony seems to think they’re worth something. I found their files in connection to Tony’s suits. He’s used his technology to better these wings. He saw one too many flaws in them, and worried for these two soldiers. The army let him.”

Steve hummed, taking Sam Wilson’s file. “So, you want this team together now? Who do you think will lead?”

“There’s still two files you haven’t looked at.”

Bucky picked up the last two, flicking them open. Their own faces stared back at them. And just like Natasha’s, Clint’s and Banner’s files, their first pages were heavily redacted. Right down to their date of birth. Even though most in SHIELD and the army knew exactly who they were and how long they had been alive for.

“You want two Directors of SHIELD running the initiative you came up with?” Bucky asked, staring at his own file with a haunted look. Their files were _thick_ with information.

Nick nodded. “Who better? You’re both super soldiers, and you can make the decision to be involved for some missions and not for others. If not, you can choose someone to be in charge in your absence.”

“Huh. What do you think, Steve?”

“I think it’s a good idea to get everyone together now. Natasha, Clint, Tony and Rhodey are all friends, so they’ll gel easy. Just depends on Banner, Wilson and Underdahl.”

“Well,” Nick began, shrugging his shoulder. “Romanoff is monitoring Banner, as am I. You two can take Wilson and Underdahl.”

Bucky had a good look at both their files. “Guess we have to go to Afghanistan.”

\--

Just as they were entering the base Sam Wilson and Riley Underdahl were stationed at, Steve got a call from Nick. He looked at his phone with some amount of suspicion, because Nick would only call if there was an emergency. So, it begged the question: What the hell had happened now?

“Rogers,” Steve answered. Bucky glanced over to him as he lowered their Jeep to the ground, exactly where the soldiers wanted them.

“I thought I’d call to tell you, Emil Blonsky became a Hulk-ish abomination from one too many injections because Ross is an idiot, but you figured that out back in 2005. Blonsky and Banner ended up fighting in Harlem. It’s… like a bombsite here.” Steve heard background noise, as if Nick had just kicked some metal. “So, just to inform you. Banner fled the scene and Ross won’t be pursuing him. Blonsky is in custody.”

“Well, either way, we still have to keep an eye on Banner. That way, if we ever need him, we can go get him.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

“Thanks, Nick.”

“No problem, Steve.”

He hung up and looked at Bucky. “So…”

“So…” Bucky repeated. “Sounds like we missed out on some fun.”

“Yeah, we’re some useless super soldiers when we’re halfway across the world.”

“Ha.” Bucky got out the car and Steve followed. “We have another task, it’s fine.”

“Mhm.”

A soldier came walking up to Steve and Bucky as they rounded their Jeep. Looked like a high-ranking officer. Probably there to question why the hell two SHIELD agents were not only on his turf but were acting like they had any authority. They had none here, and they hadn’t been soldiers for over… sixty years.

“Care to tell me why Directors of SHIELD are here?”

Steve stood tall, perhaps accidentally slipping into age old army habits. “We’re here to speak with two of your soldiers, Sir. Sam Wilson and Riley Underdahl.”

“May I ask why?”

“No,” Bucky cut in. “That’s classified.”

“The hell it is when it’s my soldiers!”

“Honestly, Sir, don’t make us do this the hard way.”

The soldier sighed and turned to one of the guys close by. “Take these two nuisances to Wilson and Underdahl.”

“Yes, Sir,” the soldier said with an amused smile.

He led them straight to the quarters in the base. He kept his amused smile up until they got to the row of bunks, where Wilson and Underdahl were sitting on the same bed _very close_ to each other. The soldier looked a little shocked before shrugging it off and smiling a little.

“Here they are,” he said before making a hasty exit. Weird… Didn’t seem like a homophobic reaction, maybe he was surprised at his friends being a thing. Or maybe they weren’t a thing and Steve was reading too much into what he was seeing.

Although, when Bucky cleared his throat, raising his hand in a greeting, Wilson and Underdahl jumped apart and put space between each other. So… he wasn’t reading too much into it. They were definitely a thing. It almost reminded him of the way it was with Bucky once. Scared of getting caught all the time.

“Who the hell are you guys?” Wilson asked, his eyebrows crinkled.

Bucky gestured to Steve and himself. “We’re Directors of SHIELD. I’m Director Barnes.”

“And I’m Director Rogers.”

Underdahl regarded them with a cold expression. “What is SHIELD doing here? You aren’t going to take away our wings, are you?”

Steve was genuinely surprised by the question. “No, why would you think that?”

“Our superior threatened that if we ever did a bad job.”

“We’re not here to take your wings. But they would be useful for you to keep, if you accept our offer.”

Wilson’s lips curled in a smirk. “Offer? Now you’ve got me intrigued.”

“How would you like to join a team of elite agents, specialists and enhanced people?”

“A team, under SHIELD?”

“Yes.” Bucky stepped forward, looking proud. “It’s called the Avengers. Rogers and I will be the leaders, as super soldiers. You would have Black Widow and Hawkeye, as well as Tony Stark and James Rhodes on your team.”

“Iron Man and War Machine?!” Underdahl said excitedly. “It’d be cool to work with them.”

Wilson clapped Underdahl on the shoulder. “Are you serious, babe, you took _that_ away from that little speech? They’re super soldiers.” He pointed to Steve and Bucky, then stared at them strangely. “Oh, I just realised who you guys are.”

Underdahl looked at them for a second before gasping. “Oh shit. I can’t believe we’re in the same room as legends.”

Steve sighed. “We’re not legends.”

“Really, you’re trying to be modest?” Wilson asked. “Huh. I didn’t expect you to be modest.” He smiled. “I quite like that.”

“Do you want to join or not?” Bucky cocked his head. “You’re good soldiers, but you’d be even better with a real team behind you that can match the results you get out in the field.”

Wilson leant closer to Underdahl and whispered in his ear. Steve and Bucky were too far away from them to pick their whispers up with their enhanced hearing. But the two seemed to agree with each other, talking back and forth, keeping their whispers to a minimum volume. Eventually, Underdahl leant back, raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

Wilson sighed and looked to Steve and Bucky. “We’ll join, under one condition.”

“What’s that?” Steve asked.

“Can my wings have red accents to it?”

Both Steve and Bucky laughed at the simple request. They both nodded and Wilson lit up to such a degree, he hugged Underdahl and made a little giddy noise.

Steve had a feeling he was going to like these guys.

\--

Steve and Bucky finally got to have a real rest after… everything. They settled in a dingy diner, ready for some greasy burgers that probably weren’t going to be good for their health.

“I have come to the dramatic conclusion that 2010 is about as dramatic as any year will ever get.” Steve put his head in his hands, breathing deep.

“First Ivan Vanko coming to bite us in the ass, only to join Stark Industries in the end… That whole fucking thing with Thor. Then Banner and Blonsky destroying Harlem... And now we have the Avengers?” Bucky sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I need a nap after all that.”

\--

Khalid Khandil.

Should have been easy to get him, till the RPGs were a problem.

One would have gotten Riley, if Rhodey hadn’t flown over like a man possessed and knocked Riley out of the way. Riley recovered easily and laughed at how his life flashed before his eyes. Sam was livid for all of five seconds before he had to dodge another shot. Tony blamed Riley and Rhodey for nearly having a heart attack in the air.

Steve and Bucky heard all this on the ground, marvelling at the fact that the four of them up there weren’t dead. They were with Nat and Clint, keeping their cool and had no close calls.

In the end, there were no casualties and Khandil was brought in. The first mission for the Avengers was a success.

Although, Sam wouldn’t let Riley out of his sight for the next three days.

Steve could relate to that.

\--

With all the success with the Avengers and all of Tony’s advancements with the latest technology, and how everything was finally good, and the world was alright considering everything…

It couldn’t last. Of course it couldn’t. Because even though the world was on track… their old friends were still getting old. And 2011 had no remorse for Peggy and Angie. None at all.

It was 0600, on any normal morning before the horrors of the day started. Steve was curled around Bucky, safe and sound. They hadn’t had a mission in a while and didn’t have to worry about any anti-corruption cases at the moment. It had really seemed like they could finally rest for a few days, they didn’t have to worry about SHIELD too much for once. People there had it handled.

It was _fine_.

Then Bucky’s phone rang. He always had his volume turned up to maximum, so people often rang him instead of Steve when they merely wanted to get into contact with the both of them. They had a much higher chance of getting an answer than if they rang Steve’s phone.

Bucky bolted up, ruining the peaceful morning vibes, and answered the phone. Steve snuggled into his pillow, prepared to listen to the call, but wanted to stay in the warm comfortable bed for a little longer.

“Uncle Buck…?” Ruth said, her voice wobbly, shaky. Oh, no…

“Ruth, what’s wrong?”

“My mom… Angie’s dead.”

Steve sat up so suddenly his head spun. He looked to Bucky with wide eyes. No. Fuck no. This… It couldn’t. Not Angie. She was one of the first in the family, she was ruthless, took no shit, owned every bigot she met, one of a kind, amazing person. She couldn’t be… dead. Not dead. She’d just turned ninety for fuck’s sake. How could she? How?

Bucky removed the phone from his ear and put it on speaker, staring at the screen. Tears were building up in his eyes. “H– Ruth, how? How? I– Just how? I don’t understand.”

“Oh… Uncle Buck…” Steve could hear Ruth’s sniffles, she was crying. “She had chest pains for a while, wouldn’t go to a doctor, she was scared. We think it was her heart.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Oh my god… I’m so sorry…” Steve blurted out, his mind was scrambling. He just… couldn’t believe it. “Oh god, how’s Peggy? How’s your mum?”

Ruth whimpered. “She won’t let the undertaker take mom’s body. She’s crying over her… Mum shouldn’t be on the floor like that, but she is and I… I’m in bits but mum is just… She’s lost the love of her life so suddenly. I can’t understand that feeling, it must be horrible for her.”

No, Ruth couldn’t, because she wasn’t married. Hadn’t fallen for someone yet.

“Oh… Shit.” Bucky wiped his hand down his face. “How’s Ben?”

“He’s… not good. You know how he grieves, it comes in patches for him. He’s cuddling an old picture of mom.”

“We’ll be over as soon as we can,” Steve promised. They had to be there for Peggy. “Have you told Howard and Tony?”

“I’m doing it now. I’ll see you when you get here.”

“See you.”

Steve stared at Bucky for a good few seconds after the call ended. Tears were running down both their cheeks, silently crying. Angie… Fucking Angie was gone. After all these years, just like that. She should have been okay… They should have had more time.

God, they were losing time.

“I can’t believe it,” Steve whispered.

“Neither can I.” Bucky crawled over to Steve, slowly wrapping his arms around him, pulling him close. “Our family, Steve… It’s slowly dying and I’m not ready.”

Steve closed his eyes tight. “I’m not ready either… I’m not.”

Once they got to DC, the undertaker had long taken Angie’s body. Peggy was sitting on her living room couch, staring into nothing with a cold cup of tea in her hands. She was pale, looked so ill and broken. Her wrinkles didn’t look right, her hands were shaky. It was unlike anything they had ever seen. Gone was the woman so strong, all that was left was a broken heart, yearning for the person it lost. And Peggy had _lost_. She didn’t have her true love anymore, didn’t have that brilliant bight light in her life.

Steve crouched down by her and tried to find words. _Any words_. But found himself coming up short. He had nothing to say. Because as horrible as it all was, Steve was grieving too, and he didn’t know… how to function. What was life going to be like without Angie? Bucky crouched by Peggy too and slowly took the cup of tea out of her hands. Her eyes snapped to him, but her expression stayed neutral, so out of it.

“Hey, Pegs,” Bucky whispered. “Do you want another cup of tea?”

Peggy whimpered. “I… Bucky… She’s gone. No cuppa can fix that.”

Bucky squeezed her knee. “I know, I know, Pegs… but it’s warm and you’re cold.”

Tears escaped from her eyes. “I’m not sure I want to be warm anymore.”

“Oh…” Bucky wrapped her up in his arms, sitting beside her on the couch. Steve sat on her other side, hugging her too. It was like they were trying to share warmth, make Peggy less cold. Share their grief maybe. Make it feel that little less terrifying.

Ruth came into the room, a steaming cuppa in her hand. “Oh… I hate this.”

They had a funeral all set up within the week. Dum Dum wasn’t cleared for travel, too ill himself, so they set up a holographic video call and placed him on one of the pews. Gabe was able to be driven up, so he, Donzaleigh and Antoine all were sitting together. Howard and Maria made it too, with Tony, at the forefront of the church. Steve and Bucky were at the front too, sitting by Peggy. Bucky held her hand softly, letting her cry into his shoulder as the ceremony went on. Ruth, Ben, Christopher, Flo and Sharon were grouped together.

The whole family was there, including Kenneth and Jim’s other children and… That was the whole family.

What had happened to everyone?

Were they all really dying?

Peggy – with the help of Bucky and Steve – walked to the front to address everyone. To give her eulogy on Angie’s life… Steve wasn’t quite ready to hear it. Wasn’t ready for Peggy to be standing there, talking about Angie like she was dead.

Because she _was_ dead.

“You all know Angie… A beautiful force of nature. Sarcastic, witty, lovely… A wonderful actress and a perfect partner.” Peggy’s eyes drifted to her children. “A wonderful mother to some wonderful children.” She glanced to the ground. “She was everything to me, my entire life. I may have married Theo in ’52, and she married Lee, but we really married each other. I told my vows to her, and she said hers to me. It was everything, she was my wife. In all but law.” Peggy huffed a laugh. “There’s a story I keep close to my heart, a tradition of sorts. First, originally, there were five of us in this outreaching family of friends. And we shared schnapps so often, I’m surprised we didn’t influence the market with how many bottles we bought.”

Peggy took a breath, recomposing herself.

“Angie was always wild at those… they were parties really, in their own special way. We’d make Howard jealous and play Cluedo when we were so drunk, we barely knew how to play correctly. Not that we ever lost, Angie and I knew how to beat the boys well.” That earned a chuckle from everyone. “Truly, Angie was everything she showed herself to be in public. But to me, she was my heart, and to lose her is an awful thing to feel. I can only be glad I have all the memories in the world to remind me of how much time we had together.”

Peggy sniffed, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“Angie will always be an inspiration to me, and I can only hope she’s looking down at me proud that I can even make this speech.” Peggy tipped her head to the ceiling. “I hope she’s calling me crazy, calling me English like she always did.” She kissed her fingers and raised them high. “I love and miss you, darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact time! Writing Angie's funeral kinda killed me? So, if you were also affected by it, I'm sorry? :P


	15. Muzzles Are Fun

Steve gaped for a second before composing himself. “Tasker, I need you to explain this situation to me again.”

“Well… Let me just show you. It’s easier.”

Tasker led Steve and Bucky through the Guest House, through the cafeteria kitchen area, into the large room. The Tesseract’s room was making a horrifying noise, till Steve realised what Tasker had been talking about. Agents Tasker had requested for backup were stationed around it. Their rifles set on the observation window in case anything happened. Inside though… was a man dressed in weird green and gold robes, a glowing sceptre dropped at his side, as he himself screamed, the electricity continuing to shock him.

“How long has this been going on for?” Bucky asked.

“Two hours, Sir. The Tesseract opened a large portal out of nowhere, and this guy popped out. It’s any wonder he didn’t end up trapped inside the glass box. The circles have been shocking him ever since, he should have passed out immediately, but he’s still going.”

Steve took out his phone. “Give me a minute. I’m going to call the Avengers in.” He turned away from the group and called Nat first. “Hey?”

“Hey? What’s happening?”

Steve quickly explained the situation with the smallest amount of detail. “I need you and Clint to find Banner, in case this situation goes south. I need the scientist that can match Tony’s intellect. Ivan won’t do in this case.”

“And Banner will? Are you crazy?”

“No. I need the guy we wanted on our team, okay?”

Nat sighed. “Alright. Hey, Clint, wake the fuck up. See ya, Steve.”

As the call ended, he brought up their messages. He sent the coordinates for the Guest House, using a series of codes he knew Nat would work out easily. Next, he rang up Sam.

“Sam?”

“Hey, Cap, what’s up?”

“What have I told you about calling me Cap?” Steve hated the term more than ever. Since Angie died, it hadn’t felt right, and Sam had only started calling him that recently. Only Angie called him that after the war, and he wanted to preserve that in a way.

“Sorry, sorry. Nomad, isn’t it?”

“Just– Sam, I’m sending you coordinates, come here with Riley, okay? And bring Tony and Rhodey along, I need all of you in case this situation gets worse.”

“What situation?”

“Just get here. I’ll brief you then.”

Steve hung up and walked back to Bucky’s side, who regarded him with a raised eyebrow but went back to watching the guy scream for a second.

“Okay, what’s the plan here?” he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“We can increase the current, to knock him out,” Tasker suggested.

“Do that. I want him in a holding cell as soon as.” Tasker disappeared into the control room. Bucky sighed. “Well, Steve, seems like you were right about the portal theory.”

Steve groaned. “I hate it when I’m right about artifacts.”

They watched as the electricity in the room grew brighter and the man’s screams became no less than excruciating to listen to. They had no idea why he was there, why he had come through the portal in the Tesseract or why he couldn’t be knocked out.

He was alien, there was no doubt. But he was a strong one. (Though, not as strong as Captain Marvel).

Inside the control room, Tasker must have been increasing the electrical output more so, as the man’s screams only became more soul tearing. It wasn’t pleasant at all. He took no joy in it, but they had to knock him out, at least long enough to transport him to a holding cell and grab his sceptre from inside.

It was a bit of a waiting game, but by the time Sam, Riley, Tony and Rhodey got there, another hour and a half later, the man was slipping into unconsciousness, his screams abruptly cutting off. Steve and Bucky sprang into action.

“Stark, Rhodes, Wilson, Underdahl, I want you at the door, attack as quickly as possible if the man so much as bats an eyelid,” Steve ordered. The four of them moved to either side of the door, Tony and Rhodey readied their repulsors, while Wilson and Underdahl aimed their guns.

“Tasker,” Bucky called. “I want you and your agents to disarm the electrical charges. Now.”

Tasker nodded but looked a little uncertain. Considering how long it took to knock him out and how high a voltage it took. But they had to interrogate this man, they had no choice. The more time they wasted, the less time they’d have. As soon as the charges went down and stopped glowing, Steve and Bucky headed into the room, along with the other agents who’d been stationed with their rifles. Steve ordered one of the agents to pick up the sceptre while he and Bucky lifted the man up.

He was pretty light and lanky compared to his wild endurance. Tony and Rhodey ran across the room to the cells, still at the ready, as Steve and Bucky dragged the man to one. Behind them, the electrical charges came back online, and Tasker came sprinting out of the control room, to unlock one of the cells.

Steve and Bucky set the man down on the bed before backing out, the laser barrier coming back up and locking the guy in. Those barriers were designed to hold someone stronger than the Hulk. They were invulnerable to most things, and as long as the man didn’t have a weapon, they had a good chance of holding him.

Sam and Riley stood in formation with the agents, keeping their guns keenly aimed on the guy. Tony and Rhodey stood at the side-lines, Steve had a feeling they were likely debating whether to increase the energy output of the repulsors. If they came to ask if they should, Steve wouldn’t say no.

The man stayed unconscious for a while, long enough for Nat, Clint and Banner to arrive. And even with the speed of a quinjet, getting from Russia to wherever Banner was, and then to the Guest House, was no short journey. Steve suddenly realised it had been another three hours, and the guy was still unconscious.

Was he pretending…?

Before Steve could ponder any longer, Tony popped out of his suit (leaving it standing there like a creepy exoskeleton) and ran up to Banner as they were guided into the room by Tasker. He gave Banner a quick hug, and Banner smiled at him.

“Uh, Tony?” Nat asked, looking completely confused.

Tony clapped Banner on the arm. “After the Harlem incident, I knew SHIELD would keep an eye on Bruce, so I went to meet him to talk science.”

Banner laughed a little nervously. “Tony may be a sarcastic pain in the ass, but he’s a good scientist.”

“Hey! I’m not a pain in anyone’s ass.”

Sam barked a laugh. “Yeah, man, keep telling yourself that.”

Bucky shook his head. “You know you’re not supposed to gang up on Tony, that’s our job.” He gestured to Steve and himself.

Clint frowned. “But I like teasing Tony.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I think our prisoner is a big fat liar.”

“I’m not fat!” the guy bellowed, standing from the bed, before sighing and shaking his head. “I don’t know why I fell for that.

Nat immediately appeared at Steve’s side, aiming her Widow’s Bite at the man, but he could tell she was ready to withdraw either her batons or her guns. Clint stuck to Bucky’s side, his bow at the ready. All of the agents snapped to better fighting stances, their rifles more accurately aimed, same went for Sam and Riley. Tony got back in his suit. He and Rhodey aimed their repulsors.

“Is this any way to greet a guest?” the man asked. “I am Loki of Asgard!”

“Any relation to Thor?” Clint asked.

“Oh, yes. Have you met my brother?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Steve cut in. “Why did you come for the Tesseract, because that’s why you’re here, right?”

“Freedom. I’ll rule this world the way it is meant to be ruled!”

“Uh-huh… Right. And how far has that gotten you?”

Loki looked around. “My sceptre,” he whispered.

“We’ve already locked that up.” In the time it took for Loki to wake up, Tasker and her team had set the sceptre up in the Tesseract’s room. They didn’t have another room with the electrical charges in them, because the artifacts didn’t allow for that risk level. The sceptre was unknown. So, they had to keep it in the Tesseract’s room.

Bucky twirled his gun in his hand. “We could keep you here all day, all night. We could shock you, drug you, we could do whatever we want to. You came to our planet to rule us, and now you stand in a cell with no hope of reclaiming your weapon.”

Loki snarled. “You think yourself mighty, but you know nothing yet. I will claim the Tesseract and rain the Chitauri down on this planet!”

“Oo, Chitauri, that sounds exotic,” Tony said.

Loki glared at him. “They are a formidable force that will crush your planet!”

Steve was about to taunt Loki further when something came crashing into the room, with a rainbow light surrounding it. Some of the ceiling came crumbling down, a few rocks following. As the light dissipated, Thor stood there, hammer in hand. He looked a little different, but pretty much the same as his pictures.

“Aw, dude, we’re gonna have to fix that,” Clint said, staring at Thor.

Thor looked up and grimaced. “I apologise.” He glanced back to Clint. “I am here for my brother, Loki.”

Loki wiggled his fingers. “Long time no see brother.”

“Not long enough,” Thor ground out. “What have you done this time?”

“I came to rule Earth!” Loki clenched his jaw. “I was the one to rule Asgard, and it was taken from me.”

“For good reason, brother.”

Sam whistled. “Sibling tensions… Never good.”

“No,” Bucky agreed, looking back and forth between Thor and Loki. “I’ve never seen such a rivalry.”

“It’s common in royal families,” Loki deadpanned. “Now, if you’d all just _let me out_! I can bring peace to this world.”

Thor barked a laugh. “From the looks of it, Loki, you’re not going anywhere.”

“You think I can’t break out from this cage, Thor?”

“I think these cells have a similar technology to our dungeons.”

Loki scowled. “Well, this has been a tremendous failure…” He sat on his bed. “If you’d like to let me out now…”

“That sounds like a nice trick,” Steve said.

Thor nodded. “Yes, my brother does love tricks. Do you have something that could hold him and… a muzzle maybe?”

“Yes!” Tasker exclaimed. When Steve and Bucky looked to her in confusion, a smile slipped off her face. “Sorry, Sirs.”

“No, it’s fine.” Bucky laughed a little. “Just strange to see you so excited over that.”

“It’s just, we developed a muzzle here. You know… in case.”

“In case of what?” Steve asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I don’t know, we get bored here.”

Steve disliked how she said that and was apprehensive as he spoke. “Go get it, I guess.”

“Yes, Sir!” Tasker smiled, nodded, and ran out of the room.

Thor watched as she left. “What a strange woman.”

“I feel like they use that muzzle for some kinky shit,” Rhodey said. As everyone turned to him, including Loki, Rhodey shuffled in his suit. “I mean, you know… Yeah…”

Thor hummed, like he was thinking it over. “I suppose a muzzle would allow for a fun time in some respects.”

“Dude, what the fuck?” Sam furrowed his brow.

“Are we… bonding over how a muzzle is kinky in certain contexts?” Banner asked, then, realising his mistake, his eyes snapped to Tony in a warning.

But he was the wrong person to look at as Riley said, “Well, if you wanna get into some bondage, Banner–” Sam elbowed him before he could continue, Riley grinned at him in response.

“I’m sure there’s rope somewhere in this facility,” Nat stated innocently, glancing around as if she’d find it. Steve was a little surprised she continued on with this… this.

Clint shook his head. “Nah, rope won’t do, too scratchy.”

“What would you rather?” Tony asked. “Silk?”

“Silk would do.”

“I’m not saying anything,” Bucky began, and Steve was worried for what he would say and what it would suggest. “But silk is nice on the skin.”

Steve rolled his eyes. Bucky was a real troll sometimes. “Sure it is, but silk and a muzzle don’t go hand in hand, if you know what I mean.” He didn’t know why he went along with this weird conversation, but it was a little entertaining.

“What if it was just silk?” Sam asked. “Lightly covering your mouth, enough to muffle noise but not suppress it?”

“Stop!” Loki shouted, standing, covering his ears as he paced. “This is torture.”

“Oh, you want us to keep going?” Nat asked, she looked to everyone with a smile. “I mean, we can absolutely keep going if you want.”

“I think that would be favourable.” Thor grinned at his brother with challenge in his eyes. “There is no better way to make friends than to discuss the wills of a body.”

Loki glared at Thor. “That’s the last way you make friends.”

“No, I disagree,” Banner said suddenly. “We all have a tighter connection now than previously because the humour of torturing you with this conversation brings us together as a team.” He shrugged. “I’m not a social scientist, but it’s a theory I think is correct.”

“You’re right, Bruce.” Tony’s faceplate lifted, revealing his vast grin. “I feel a little closer to Thor now that we have all bonded over how a muzzle could be fun, and how tying up people with silk is better than rope.”

“I feel closer to you all now too,” Thor agreed. “It is nice to find like minded people that wish to tease my brother with me.”

Bucky’s gaze flicked to Tony, then Thor. “Oh, yeah, most of us have plenty of experience when it comes to the art of teasing.”

“I’ve got it!” Tasker came running back in with a metal muzzle. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a kinky thing then. She passed it to Thor. “Think you can apply it?”

“Yes, it’s similar to the muzzles on Asgard.”

Steve pointed to Loki. “If you try to attack us, we’ll kill you. Do you understand?”

Loki sat on the bed and extended his wrists, as if presenting them to be handcuffed. “I know when I am defeated.”

The barrier went down, the agents moved in and handcuffed Loki, Thor attached the muzzle as Steve and Bucky held him still, and soon let go once he was bound. Thor grabbed him by the arm and hauled him up, getting him to walk to the spot he’d crashed down to. Steve was going to have to employ some good SHIELD builders to get this fixed.

“Well, it has been nice meeting you all. I hope to meet again,” Thor said.

“Perhaps we can talk about the Sceptre and the Tesseract. It would be helpful to have some other worldly advice,” Steve said. The two items were still wholly unknown.

“I’ll return when the time is right to tell you what I know.” He smiled at everyone. “Farewell for now.”

The rainbow light returned, causing Thor and Loki to disappear up into the sky. They all watched, muted for a good few seconds before Clint clapped his hands together, and Sam whistled again.

“Who wants to go eat?” Bucky asked. “We have several quinjets, so we can go anywhere we want to.”

“Can we get some steamed buns? I wanna go to China and get some steamed buns,” Tony said, smiling at everyone.

Nat nodded slowly. “Yeah, I could go for that right now.”

Bucky turned to everyone, walking backwards towards the exit. “Last one to the quinjet is a rotten egg?”

“Hey, no! What about the base?” Tasker asked.

Steve placed a hand on her shoulder as everyone started running out. “I’ll send builders.” He turned and began sprinting towards the double doors, seeing everyone halfway across the kitchen area. “Hey, wait up!”

“Rotten. Egg,” Sam called over his shoulder.

Steve rolled his eyes and broke out into a full super soldier sprint.

\--

“Uncle Steve!” Tony ran up to him, handing him a tablet. “Turns out you were right about making people believe I lived in that old California mansion. It was bombed, by the Mandarin.”

Steve looked at the shaky video footage, taken from a helicopter firing at the house. Tony’s remote failsafe suit flew out of the mansion and got caught in the crossfire, plummeting into the water below. Steve was thankful for the fact Tony was in New York, safe and sound.

It should have been obvious that Tony lived in New York, and that he only visited that mansion every so often. It was just a stupid holiday home that Howard had built for Tony because he felt like it one year. But, apparently, having that amazing failsafe would work in their favour as Steve realised the video was part of a news article. The article theorised Tony could be dead.

“What would they want from you…?” Steve passed the tablet back. He had only been in Stark Tower to help Nat settle into the apartment floor Tony had set up for her. And now, here this was, a new problem on their hands. Maybe Tony was right, maybe the Avengers did need to be in one building. “Stay in this building, don’t let any journalist know you’re alive. We need the element of surprise.”

Tony furrowed his brow. “Are you calling us in? Are we going to deal with the Mandarin?”

“I’ve had enough of these bombs; we’ve had our agents searching for information and we’ve been making headway.” Steve smiled. “I think we’ve gotta assemble the Avengers.”

“Ugh, you’re so cringy, Uncle Steve.”

“Hey, can’t your ninety-four-year-old uncle be a little cringy?” Bucky asked, appearing out of nowhere. He grinned at Tony. “Word is, you’re dead.”

Tony shrugged. “I guess it’s hard to kill Badass Man.”

Steve groaned as he pulled out his phone. “Stop bringing up that name.”

“Like Iron Man is much better.”

“It’s _marginally_ better.” He pressed his phone to his ear. “Sam?”

“Yep?”

“We need you and Riley at the tower. We need to sort this Mandarin business.”

“We’ll be there.”

Steve hung up and turned to Bucky, who was texting. He glanced to Tony, who seemed to be talking to Rhodey. The Avengers were assembling, and it was pretty great too. Sure, the circumstances weren’t, but the fact they had people that would drop everything to come to their aid was frankly beautifully poetic.

Nat and Clint came down from Nat’s apartment floor, and Tony ushered them all to a conference room. Rhodey soon turned up, as did Sam and Riley. Steve and Bucky were prepared to share as much information as they had been given, when Bucky got a call from an agent working on the case.

Everyone stared at him as he answered and put it on speaker for ease. “Barnes.”

“Sir, we have managed to pinpoint the Mandarin’s broadcast signal. It’s coming from Miami.”

“Seems like a strange place.” Steve agreed with Bucky there. The signal coming from Miami suggested a more luxurious terrorist than they had first imagined. “What else have you got?”

“The signal comes from a mansion owned by an Aldrich Killian.”

“I know him,” Tony chimed. “He’s the CEO of AIM. He once asked my dad to invest in his company like… ten years ago, but he refused because he didn’t agree with some of the projects.”

“This isn’t looking good for Killian then,” Steve said, it was often the rich or the power hungry that became obsessed with these kinds of things. “Anything else, Jordan?”

“Only the Mandarin’s latest threat… against the president.”

Steve sighed. He did love working this job, but sometimes, it was just one thing after another.

“Thank you, Jordan,” Bucky said, hanging up. “We’ll need to split up into teams.”

Steve stepped forward. “Tony, Rhodey, Riley and Sam, I need you to go to the mansion, work out what’s going on there.”

They all nodded, taking their orders on board.

“Nat, Clint, you’re with me and Bucky. We need to go protect the president.”

Nat stood. “I’m so excited, life’s been dull after Loki.”

Clint rolled his eyes. “We were only on a mission the other day.”

“Precisely my point.”

Steve chuckled. “Come on, everyone, let’s get suited up.”

“Suited up,” Sam mocked. “Makes us sound like superheroes.”

“That’s because we are,” Riley said, knocking Sam with his shoulder.

“In our dreams, maybe.”

Steve shook his head and headed out with the others to the New York SHIELD Headquarters.

\--

“Mr President, we cannot let you board that plane. It’s not safe,” Bucky said, his voice firm.

Ellis looked to Steve and Bucky like they were crazy before realising who they were. He stepped off the plane and ordered his members of staff to get the cars. He eyed Steve and Bucky for a second before smiling slightly.

“Director Rogers, Director Barnes. It’s good to see you again.”

“I wish it was under better circumstances, Sir.”

Ellis waved dismissively. “When is it ever? Having you two here makes me feel better all ready.” He huffed a breath. “It’s not the first time my life has been threatened, and it won’t be the last.”

One of the cars pulled up behind them, Steve did a quick check to make sure it was all official before ensuring the president got inside safely. Nat and Clint – who had been at a distance – got on a motorbike to follow behind. In case.

The car had just lifted up into the air and began pulling away, when Tony began speaking on their comm channel. Steve forgot how long a range Tony’s comms worked at. It surprised him more often than not.

“The Mandarin is an actor… Killian has been genetically modifying people, giving them powers. It’s called Extremis. It’s… a fire thing, I guess. Fire and regenerating limbs, if it doesn’t explode you first.”

“The bombings make sense then.”

“Yeah, get the people who are gonna explode in one specific place, get an actor pretending to be a terrorist to claim it, draw people out.”

“Can you get Killian? Do you know where he is?” Bucky asked. One of the president’s guards raised their eyebrows at them but didn’t question it.

“We have one of his men,” Sam said. There was a beat of silence. “He talked when Tony and Rhodey threatened to repulse him six ways till Sunday. Killian is here.”

“Get that son of a bitch,” Steve said, closing off the comm’s channel to let the team do what they needed. “Mr President, it seems like we might have the man responsible for the bombings in our custody by the end of the day.”

“Well, that is good news,” Ellis said, a stoic joy to his voice.

It soon came out that Vice President Rodriguez was working for Killian and was promptly arrested. Trevor Slattery, the Mandarin actor, was also taken into custody. Most of Killian’s guards or assassins or soldiers were brought in too. Unfortunately, before Killian could have been brought in, he attacked the team and Riley was forced to gun him down.

Sometimes… monsters died, and that was okay.

\--

Dum Dum… Steve and Bucky had just talked to him the other day. He was happy, joyful, sipping at whiskey. And when Steve worried over his drinking and his age, he scoffed and said he was a hundred, that he could do what he liked.

Only the other day…

Now, he was dead.

Gabe had been worried about him when he didn’t answer their normal lunch call, so he’d sent Antoine to go check on him. He’d been dead a good few hours, according to Antoine. Died of a heart attack. That seemed to get them, their heart.

So, now, sitting on a pew in a church, Steve was trying not to cry. Bucky was clasping his hand tight as Ben read a poem, saying that it was one his Uncle Tim liked to quote all the time. It was beautiful, speaking about nature and time. As if the two went hand in hand. Dum Dum, for as hearty as he was, loved peacefulness when he finally grabbed it with both hands.

The surviving Invaders… Steve, Bucky and Gabe, went up to the front. Gabe was slow, with his walking cane (not a stick, as Gabe maintained it was too fancy to be a stick). Steve and Bucky supported Gabe from either side, and with tears welling in their eyes, they began to sing _their_ song. Back in the war, they’d sing it around a fire, eating their rations. All joyful, pretending they didn’t have a mission the next day. Dum Dum would always start singing first, as happy as any old fella.

‘There is a Tavern in the Town’.

Here, though, the joy was non-existent, and as they sang, the words of the song were laced with sadness. If it was possible, the three of them realised what the lyrics really were. Or at least, Steve did. And it made it all the more depressing. The best of friends must part. Yeah… that lyric hurt more than any other. With only Gabe, Howard and Peggy left out of the original team… Best friends really had parted.

Adieu, adieu, adieu.

Of course, it was only a little more than six months later when Gabe died.

Didn’t even reach his ninety-fifth birthday. How dare the world do this to them. Rip one friend away, then another, in such a short space of time. When Steve got the news, he nearly crushed his phone in his hand. Gabe had died in his sleep, so he got a peaceful death, unlike some of them.

Peggy couldn’t make it to his funeral, she was getting ill herself. They weren’t sure what it was yet, but her memory wasn’t okay. They had a holographic set up, she sat in the front row, sniffling and crying. Howard sat beside her holographic, sometimes whispering things to her which made her huff quietly.

Steve and Bucky didn’t get up to sing ‘There is a Tavern in the Town’. It was the only time no Invader got up to sing… Steve and Bucky had sat out before… But this time, with Gabe gone.

That was all of them.

Gone.

They had been old; they had lived lives. And now they were all dead, apart from Steve and Bucky. But did they really count? They hadn’t aged, they wouldn’t die of the illnesses their friends were dying of. It wasn’t fair.

Donzaleigh was in bits over losing her father, and Antoine held her close throughout the ceremony. It wasn’t just Steve and Bucky who had lost, it was the family too. A huge gaping hole in their lives.

It was any wonder any of them got through it at all. People just kept dying, but that was what happened, when all your old friends were actually old and in their nineties.

\--

“Okay, okay, hear me out though,” Clint said, knocking back a glass of orange juice like it was whiskey.

“No!” they all shouted.

Steve really, really didn’t want to hear about Clint’s weird obsession with Thor’s hair. Not today… Like, sure, Thor was back in the news as a guy that existed because of London, but mostly, he’d taken care of that. And maybe SHIELD had to clean up the whole area to ensure nothing got into public hands, with Steve and Bucky visiting to guarantee all was going smoothly.

But that didn’t mean they were gonna let Clint go overboard again.

Nat swirled her drink, kicking her legs up onto the couch. Sam was cuddling into Riley, in such a way it reminded Steve of how Peggy and Angie were when they were young. Clint had a small robotic dog on his lap. After he complained about missing his dog when he was away from home, Tony had built him ‘Robo Lucky’.

Tony was curled up on an armchair, half on Pepper’s lap, but she didn’t seem to mind (especially not since Tony proposed, their nephew was finally concentrating on his own life rather than the world). Rhodey was sitting on the floor, his back resting against a couch. He batted Clint’s legs away every time he snuck his foot close to Rhodey’s face.

They were at Steve and Bucky’s house, the one in Brooklyn they’d owned since ‘59. They did have a couple other apartments here and there, but they were beginning to think they should sell those off. They were in New York more often now than ever.

Plus, everyone was here because Steve and Bucky had some of the oldest alcohol just sitting in their bar for no reason. It was only the best stuff that actually, usually, tasted good. Since getting drunk wasn’t the point for Steve and Bucky.

“Why are you guys never as lovey dovey as them?” Rhodey asked, jabbing his thumb toward Sam and Riley.

Bucky lay his head on Steve’s shoulder. “We’re kinda not in our thirties?”

Steve chuckled. “Yeah, we’re old, pal. We’re past that stage.”

Nat furrowed her brow. “Fucking liars. You were like that all the time when I lived with you.”

“That’s different.”

“Because you’re allergic to PDA?”

Tony choked on air. “Uncle Steve and uncle Bucky? PDA? I have seen it all, and I promise, you don’t want to see it all.”

“We’ve mellowed in our old age, Tony,” Bucky said, curling his arm around Steve’s waist. Steve leant into it. Perhaps they weren’t super all over each other like they were in the past, but that’s just because their love was an old one now. It had aged along with them over the years. Maybe it was because of how long they had stayed in that one circle of friends who knew about them, and instinct told them to be careful.

Or maybe they were just in their nineties and didn’t have to be all over each other to prove their love.

“Do you want PDA, Nat?” Steve asked, smirking. “Tony brings up an interesting point, you guys haven’t seen it all.”

Tony’s eyes hardened. “You even dare… Uncle Steve.”

Pepper swatted Tony’s arm. “Let them be romantic if they want.”

“They’re _teasing_ me, Pepper,” he whined.

She grinned at him. “Are they really still your uncles?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” He looked back at Steve and Bucky. “Please, don’t.”

Bucky kissed Steve’s cheek but left it at that. “Fine. But just know, if I feel like kissing my partner, I will.”

Tony groaned, covering his eyes. “This is what I get for being friends with my uncle’s friends.”

“What are you guys saying?” Sam asked, looking a little lost.

“Oh…” Clint grinned at Sam. “You guys were lost in your own little world?”

“Maybe a little,” Riley said, wistfully.

“That’s cute. I get that. It’s a cool feeling.”

“Can we all stop talking about love now?” Nat whispered. “Please, for a second? Or maybe for the rest of the night.”

“Sure, Nat,” Steve said, smiling a little at her. Knowing about her past, Steve understood why Nat found it hard to love someone, to trust a person like that. To let them into her life in that way.

They drifted into other conversations that didn’t touch work and didn’t touch love. Instead, Bucky disappeared into the hallway and returned with Monopoly. They split into groups. Steve and Bucky, Nat and Clint, Tony, Rhodey and Pepper. Playing Monopoly with more than four people was never fair when it came to owning shit, and some people would always get a little left out. (A lesson learnt the hard way with angry kids).

So, teams it was.

About half an hour in, Clint and Nat had landed on the last train station Steve and Bucky so dearly needed. They smirked at them, and Nat’s eyes slid to the one red they had, which Nat and Clint needed to complete their set.

“How about we do a deal here, boys?” Nat said.

Clint picked up his piece, the iron, and aimed it at Steve and Bucky. “You’ll get burnt if you don’t give us that red.”

Steve hummed, leaning into Bucky. “Logically, we keep them from houses right now.”

Bucky nodded, staring at the red card. “But we don’t get the full benefits without the station either.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. He looked to Nat. “Pay for the station then we’ll trade.” He extended his hand.

“Deal!” Clint yelled, shaking Steve’s hand.

Nat batted his arm. “Clint…! We could have negotiated that better.”

Clint shrugged. “But we have reds now and lots of money still.”

She nodded and paid the two hundred, throwing the card to Bucky, who caught it easily. He flicked the red over to Clint, who snapped it out of the air, grinning. Nat paid for a house and placed it on the last red, beaming at it like the little green thing was her baby.

The game pretty much went on like that, trading back and forth, keeping others from getting a strategic set. It was Tony that stopped people from getting houses. At one point, he asserted he wouldn’t trade the two yellows to Steve and Bucky, even though they had the other blue Tony’s team needed. Pepper had to keep him from splurging out on whatever they landed on too.

Once every property was owned, it became a battle for _blood_. Although, for Sam and Riley it was a battle of survival. They only owned the utilities and the light blues with four houses on each.

Currently, they were sitting on a hotel, on the last red.

“Come on, Nat, we can do a sweet deal,” Sam pleaded. “You need houses for your greens, right? We have houses.”

“Cough up the $1100.”

Riley sighed, placing his hand delicately on Sam’s arm. “We have to sell them.”

“Dammit.” Sam sold all the houses back to the bank, causing Nat to smile with glee and for Rhodey to do some quick counting on his fingers, looking to his team’s stash of money, and the houses that had been reimbursed to the bank. Unfortunately for Sam and Riley, that only got them $300 back.

Which meant they had to mortgage their properties. All of them. Which only got them to $610. Giving them a total of $710.

“We’re bankrupt!” Riley yelled, burying his head on Sam’s shoulder. “We’re done!”

Sam wrapped his arms around Riley. “I know, babe.”

Nat slid her hand to the pile of cash Sam and Riley still had. “I’ll be taking that.”

“Hey! You can’t do that!” Tony shouted. “She can’t do that, can she, Pepper?”

Pepper stroked her chin, her brow furrowed. “Well, in real life, it’s her rent. In Monopoly, I’m not sure…”

“I vote it out, she doesn’t get that money,” Rhodey said, as he collected up Sam and Riley’s cards and placed them in the middle, unsure what to do with them.

Bucky twisted his mouth. “Nat and Clint should get it. It’s only gonna go back to the bank, and banks care more about the money they need to pay off their debts than what is owed to people.”

“Oh, political, nice!” Clint raised his hand and Bucky gave him the high-five he was craving.

“Yeah, I’m siding with Nat,” Steve said, laughing when Tony scowled.

“Some uncles you two are,” Tony grumbled.

It was any wonder, with Nat’s ruthlessness and Tony’s want to follow the rules, that the night didn’t end up with Steve and Bucky’s pretty much mint condition 1950s Monopoly board in tatters.


	16. End of an Era

Steve ran out to the garden and _screamed_ , so loud it hurt his ears. He screamed his throat raw. In his anger, his _grief_ , he threw his phone at the wall. It clattered to the grass in one piece. He was upset at how it didn’t crack or bend or break because Tony and… _Howard…_ had worked so hard to make technology strong and good and long-lasting. So his rage wasn’t satisfied by the thing unbroken, that he so badly wanted to break.

He kept screaming as he sank to his knees, finally submitting to the news, curling up as his screams became nothing more than whimpers as he cried. Bucky came rushing out, his steps quick. Steve could tell, through his own water filled eyes, that Bucky was crying. He collapsed to the ground by Steve and wrapped him up.

They lay there, sobbing, bawling, ugly tears rolling down their red faces. Steve unwrapped himself from Bucky’s arms at one point and held Bucky’s head close to his chest. Realising how much _he_ had lost. Steve was family, yeah, about as real as family got, but Bucky was blood. He grew up with them, in the same house, knowing each other inside out. And now… Steve let out another wrecked sob, holding Bucky tighter.

Police had come to their house, looking sorrowful and upset. Only to tell them the worst thing possible.

Becca and Charlotte had been coming over to their house, for lunch. They’d made a stop at Stark Tower to get some coffee because it was their favourite… And they’d seen Howard and brought him along. Becca had called ahead, telling them they were bringing him, and laughed a little when she said he’d fallen asleep.

But Becca’s voice had become frantic suddenly and she’d hung up. Probably in panic? Then, they had never arrived… Because the car crashed. It killed Becca and Charlotte, but Howard had already been dead before the crash. The ambulance crew determined that his injuries hadn’t killed him. The police wouldn’t give details, only saying Becca and Charlotte had been impaled. Maybe it was sparing them.

Car accidents happened no matter how safe hover was, how safe the cars were, things happened…

And… it had happened to Bucky’s sisters. Thank _god_ , Mable wasn’t in the car, because Steve might have had a mental breakdown. Never mind what would happen to Bucky if that had been the case.

Still, Becca and Charlotte were gone. Howard too. Oh god, Tony… Maria… How were they going to cope? What would happen to them?

Steve didn’t think he could take another funeral.

“My sisters, Steve,” Bucky whispered, his words choking on tears. “My little sisters…”

Steve’s heart broke for Bucky. “I know… Sweetheart, I’m so… sorry.”

Bucky sniffled. “They– deserved to die in their… sleep. Not in a car… Not… No…”

Steve kissed the top of his head. “I know, I know, I know, I know.”

Howard’s funeral came first, and in true Howard fashion, he had planned a little of his funeral. He didn’t want a scrap of black on anyone. So, Tony was wearing his floral suit, Pepper wore a bright pale pink dress. Rhodey wore a pastel blue shirt and yellow trousers. Maria was wearing the soft green dress Howard had bought her once upon a time. Steve was in his pink shirt and had pale peach trousers on. Bucky wore his lilac suit, with his yellow polka dot tie.

Peggy… wasn’t allowed to see the funeral. Her mind was a little less than scrambled eggs these days, and her doctors worried it would distress her too much. So, she didn’t get to see, didn’t get to witness Howard’s funeral. Her lifelong friend.

That was the worst part of this. Because now death had touched Howard, it would come for Peggy next. It only made sense, and with her illness, it would be some day soon. They could have years yet, but soon, it would come.

Tony struggled through the eulogy, Maria at his side, supporting him and saying things when Tony couldn’t quite anymore. Steve blanked out a few paragraphs in, too overwhelmed by the grief of it. It was too much in such a short space of time. It was like the early 2000s all over again…

This was it, this era of their life was on its last pages. This wasn’t the end of a chapter, it was the end of the book. And once Peggy died, their new book would begin. With the children, with the grandchildren. More deaths would follow in the next decades.

But this part, this book, this chapter, it was coming to a close before Steve had made peace with it.

Steve hadn’t realised the funeral ended until Tony was pulling at his arm. “Come on, Uncle Steve. It’s okay, it’s okay.” Tears were running down his cheeks.

He snapped back to himself, standing, realising the church was empty save for Tony, Maria and Bucky.

“I’m sorry… Oh god–” He turned and twisted. “I completely blanked.”

“It’s okay… It happens to people.” Tony patted Steve’s arm, smiling sadly. “He was one of your closest friends, Uncle Steve. Your brother in all but blood, you’re allowed to fall into grief on a day like this.”

Steve looked down at his bright clothes. “Yeah…”

Bucky took Steve’s arm, looping it around his own. “Let’s get you out of here, doll, you need to rest.”

He closed his eyes. “We all do.”

Becca and Charlotte had a joint funeral. Steve was glad to be back in black. Flowers were _everywhere_. The two had big families and lots of friends, well known in their neighbourhood for their charity work. People they had helped were there. A whole lot of people, all mourning them. Celebrating their life to some degree.

Bucky was in tears for the duration of it, and Mable did the eulogy about them, her voice weak and thin. So unlike the young woman Steve came to know after the war. It struck him again at how many years had passed, and how two of Bucky’s sisters were gone now. Leaving only Mable, the youngest sibling of them all. And Bucky would outlive her too, if he didn’t die on the job (and at this point, it was unlikely anyway).

The funeral was a lovely affair. And when they were both lowered into the ground, in the same plot as their mother and father, Bucky burst into tears, hiding his face in Steve’s jacket. Steve held him close, his own tears falling. This was impossible. Watching them all age slowly, dying, dying, dying. It was too much.

“I can’t believe they’re gone.” Bucky sobbed, sucking in breaths.

Steve rubbed his back. “Me neither… I… It’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not. It never is, and it never will be.”

They were allowed to break down and cry and _feel_ that pain. Feel it all till it burnt them from the inside out. Till they truly mourned for all they had lost.

They would never stop missing them. For as long as they lived.

Their memories would live on through Bucky, through Steve.

\--

It was 2015 now. Things had happened in the last few years, deaths of friends, Loki and the Sceptre (which was now kept at Ragtag, or the Playground as Billy Koenig called it), the formation of the Avengers. Things had been happening in SHIELD too, Phil Coulson had his own team and the last remaining Bus. Maria Hill was a truly efficient and brilliant agent, and Steve was glad she had Nick to keep her trained up… Being Deputy Director meant she had a lot of knowledge and power in the organisation, but Steve knew she’d be a director someday. She just wasn’t ready quite yet.

And same sex marriage had been legal nationwide for the last month and a bit. Steve and Bucky had talked about marriage a lot over the years. And Steve had wanted nothing more than to call Bucky his husband. Since same sex marriage had been legal in New York since 2011, they’d talked about it even more.

But it had never quite been the right time. Something was always happening with SHIELD, or another friend of theirs got ill, or an attack happened that needed the Avengers. Lately, nothing had happened. It was like they were avoiding the topic. Steve had to admit he was a little worried if they did get married. Would it change anything? They had managed seventy years without being tied to each other in the word of law.

Maybe the ceremony would be worth it, but would it make a difference? They’d been living in each other’s pockets, never spent a day apart since 1945. They were Steve and Bucky. A joined entity. Everyone who knew how long they had lived for knew that. There was no Steve without Bucky, you couldn’t tell his life story without mentioning Bucky.

Marriage would finally tie them together in the final way.

Perhaps they were avoiding it because they weren’t ready yet.

Anyhow, as Steve’s thoughts ran away from him, he realised he had stopped listening to Nick ten minutes ago. Bucky was saying something, and Nick was pointing at a bullet point on the holographic. It read: ‘Sceptre’s can be used, you know’. Ahh, Nick and his sass.

“And what do you want to do with it?” Bucky asked. “I know you and the World Security Council think using the Tesseract for research is needed. There’s a good reason why we keep it locked up.”

“Come on, Barnes. It’s powerful and can be used for clean–”

Steve leant forward. “Say one more word about how you would use it for clean energy, and I’ll fire you for lying.”

Bucky turned in his chair, looking to him with wide eyes. “No...” He glanced to Fury, then to the holographic. “You want to use it for weapons, don’t you?”

Nick thinned his lips. “The World–”

“Oh, fuck you, Nick.”

“So… weapons.” Steve sighed. “Nick, the Tesseract’s weapons dominated the battlefield in WWII.”

“Exactly.”

“No,” he said, stern. He glared at Nick, clenching his jaw. “You don’t understand what you’re talking about, you weren’t alive. You didn’t see what we saw.”

Bucky stared into the distance. “People being disintegrated by blue pulses. Gone… nothing left.” His eyes flicked to Nick. “The _last_ thing we need are those weapons again. Too high a risk of corruption.”

“From what research we have allowed on the Sceptre, and from what Thor told us… Come on, Nick, we can’t. You know we can’t let you do this.” Steve folded his arms. “Don’t make us investigate you.”

“If Thor is right and the Sceptre and the Tesseract both contain Infinity Stones, why waste that potential?” Nick asked. “They would make great weapons against the alien threats Earth now faces.”

Bucky shook his head. “No, they wouldn’t. It’s unpredictable and innocent people will die in the process. They are safe where they are.” As Nick went to talk again, Bucky raised his hand to stop him. “Don’t. You know anti-corruption goes above you, and the Council. Don’t test us, Nick, because we will take you down if we have to.”

Sam came crashing into the room. Thank god, saved by the bell. “There’s a shrinking guy now. Calls himself Scott and Antman.”

“Really?” Steve asked. Thinking back to the days of Hank Pym. He couldn’t have someone back in the suit, could he? He said it was too dangerous… “How do you know?”

“He, uh… You know the SHIELD/Avengers training base that Tony’s building from an old Stark Industries storage facility?”

“Yeah…?”

“He was looking for a device ‘to save the world’ or whatever. I think he ended up getting it, I lost him.”

Bucky barked a laugh. “Oh, he beat you. I mean, I get it, it’s Antman. The last guy was formidable out in the field back in the ‘80s. Do you know why Scott is on the scene?”

“You know this guy?” Sam asked.

“I thought Antman was a SHIELD fantasy, propaganda,” Nick said. “He was real?”

Steve nodded. “Hank Pym, one of the best goddamn scientists we lost because of Carson, him losing his wife and so many other factors. If he’s trained up a new guy to use the suit, then something bad is happening.”

“Something real bad,” Bucky whispered. “The last we saw of him, he vowed that as long as he was alive, nobody would get his formula. Howard stayed friends with him and reported back that Pym kept the suit locked up tight. Pretty much impenetrable.”

“Yeah, nobody could steal that thing. So, this is Pym and Pym alone.” Steve looked to Sam. “When did this happen?”

He rubbed his neck. “Yesterday… I was embarrassed and shocked by it. I’ve started looking for him, if that helps.”

“Pym lives in San Francisco, so this guy will be there,” Bucky said. He swivelled in his chair, facing Steve. “Should we pay him a visit?”

“Yeah, I’d like to see how Pym is doing.”

\--

Pym had made a great life for himself after leaving DC, leaving SHIELD. With his successful company. Sure, Steve had no doubt the loss of his wife still haunted him, and from what little research he’d done on the plane ride over, there had been past tension with his daughter, but that was life.

It liked to bite you in the ass at any opportunity.

The house he had was pretty swanky too. Really pretty from the outside, lots of detail. Lovely colours too. But, then again, San Francisco had always had more colourful buildings than New York or Washington DC.

When Bucky knocked on the door, Steve heard some grumbling on the other side before it opened. Pym was standing there with his arm in a sling, looking so much older now, but still had some youth to him. He didn’t so much as scowl at them, but he didn’t smile either.

“Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes? What are you doing on my doorstep?”

Bucky smiled, reassuring. “The Antman suit, Scott? We just came to make sure the world wasn’t ending.”

Pym furrowed his brow slightly. “Huh, maybe I was wrong, maybe this was SHIELD’s paygrade after all.”

“O-kay. But you’re alright?”

“You missed the party. The world didn’t end. My guy saved the day.” Pym began closing the door. “Now, if there wasn’t anything else–”

“I’m glad you’re looking well, Hank,” Steve said, wanting to… reconnect. Maybe get to know this man. “I hope there’s no hard feelings…”

Pym sighed. “There’s not. I suppose I was mad at the wrong people, maybe I still am.” He narrowed his eyes at them. “Carson’s still in prison, right?”

Steve nodded, trying to suppress his joy at that. “He’s still rotting. He’ll never be let out; you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Do all the people you imprison get life?”

Bucky tilted his head, as if thinking on it. “Depends on what they did. Not all do, but Carson did.”

“I’m glad.” Pym opened the door wider. “How about you come in for a coffee? We never really knew each other, back then.”

Bucky huffed an amused breath, nodding. “No, we didn’t. The most we ever knew about you, was that you once made one of the staff rooms stink of blue cheese.”

Pym laughed a little. “That risotto was not my proudest moment.” He gestured for them to come in. Steve and Bucky did so, and Pym closed the door, a small smile on his face. “You have to tell me about your own incident. ’88, New York Headquarters, cafeteria kicking you both out.”

Steve couldn’t help the laughter that burst out of him. “Oh, Hank, you’ll never believe it.”

Bucky heaved in breaths to talk over his own laughter. “It. Started with– peppermint tea.”

\--

“I think… I think Tony has honorarily adopted a kid,” Pepper said, as she let Steve and Bucky in.

They’d been invited to the Stark mansion by Tony, saying he had exciting news. They weren’t the only ones there either, in the group chat, Sam and Riley had been confused about what was going on. And Nat wanted to run and hide, a little scared. Clint didn’t mind one bit and Rhodey seemed to have inside knowledge about it all.

“Really?” Steve asked, hanging his coat up on the hook by the door. “Are you okay with that?”

Pepper laughed. “It’s… The kid has an aunt he lives with, I think Tony saw his potential and snapped him up. But he’s announcing something else, I think. We’ll see.”

“What?” Bucky said, laughing a little. “He keeps these things a secret from you too?”

“He says it’s part of the surprise.”

“Well… He’s always done these kinds of presentations in front of friends and family.” Bucky furrowed his brow for a second, before tilting his head a little. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts. “It’s strange he’s only invited friends though… Maria isn’t here, is she?”

Pepper seemed to realise what Bucky was getting at. “No, she’s out with friends.”

Steve thinned his lips. “What do you know about this kid?”

“Not much…”

In their confused and puzzled states, they headed into the room which had always been used for these… presentations. Where the couches wrapped around a large solid oak coffee table in half a square, with armchairs off to the side and a bar in the background. A TV was on the wall opposite the couches, and beside that wall was a hallway up to a couple rooms. This was the place they’d decided on their outfits back in the ‘90s, it was the place Tony showed off his Iron Man suit and so much more technology.

This time… who knew?

Steve noticed straightaway that Sharon and Antoine were also here, and how Tony had managed to do that, Steve didn’t know. Sharon had vowed long ago to never come back to one of these events, and Antoine always used the excuse of a mission (although, half the time, that had been true). But Ruth, Ben, Christopher… none of them were here.

What was Tony going to do?

Everyone was sitting in their usual ways. Sam and Riley were pressed up in each other’s spaces. Rhodey was on the floor, Pepper sat on the edge of the couch. Nat and Clint sat on the back of the couch, feet resting on the cushions below. Sharon and Antoine were sitting in their own section, as if ready to bolt if they felt the need to. Bruce sat in an armchair while Steve and Bucky sat on the edge of the coffee table.

“We’re ready!” Pepper shouted. “Show us!”

Tony came out of the room with a kid who looked so young. A mop of brown hair on his head. He was beaming as Tony led him to stand in front of them all. Steve could see pride in Tony’s eyes when he looked at the kid.

“This is Peter Parker, everyone. Peter, these are my friends, Rhodey, Sam, Riley, Natasha and Clint. Sharon and Antoine, my cousins. My uncles, Steve and Bucky. And you know Pepper, my wife.”

Steve had to stifle a laugh at Tony slotting in wife like that. He did that as often as he could, as if it was his best and only achievement.

Some of them waved a little, some said hi. Sharon furrowed her brow, Rhodey and Pepper weren’t in any shock. Bucky smiled encouragingly at the kid, who waved a small bit at them all. Tony lit up, placing his hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“I’ve heard of some of you,” Peter whispered. “Especially the Avengers… Even though you’re not really public knowledge… My friend is… he’s a fan.”

“Your friend is a hacker?” Steve asked. It would explain how he would know their code name.

“Maybe…”

Steve pulled a fake business card from his wallet, that had his real number on it, and passed it to Peter. “Tell your friend to call me to discuss weaknesses.”

“Wow…”

Tony smiled down at Peter. “Anyhow, Peter will be joining Stark Industries to become an Intern officially. Unofficially, he’ll be training in the new SHIELD/Avengers facility.”

“ _Why_?” Sharon asked, resting her head on her hand. “He’s a kid.”

Peter looked to Tony, who nodded. He shot something… at the wall. It expanded out, clung to it. Looked like a spider’s web? What? Was… was this kid enhanced? Is that why Tony took him under his wing? Peter’s sleeve had pulled up a little at the movement, revealing a wrist gauntlet of some kind. It was a technology; it wasn’t coming out of him but… there had to be more to the story.

Bucky and Clint reacted in the same way.

“Oh my god!” Bucky shouted.

“That’s amazing!” Clint jumped up on the couch.

“Oh my god, did you make that stuff?”

“Is it coming out of you?!” Sam cut in; his brows furrowed.

“Nah, Sam, it’s technology!”

“Oh, jeez! Why?! Kid, what happened and why?”

Bucky grinned, tapping his feet against the floor excitedly. “Tell us, Peter!”

Peter looked a little windswept by the exchange but grinned anyway. “I got bit by a spider. I got powers from it and… stuck with the theme.”

“That’s cool.” Clint sat back down. “So, you make the spider webbing?”

“Yep. My own chemical formula.”

“He’s a genius,” Tony whispered, beaming. Steve realised that Tony was super proud of Peter, like he’d become a mentor to him.

“What’s your powers, kid?” Nat asked, sliding down from the back of the couch, bouncing a little on the cushions.

Peter lit up. “Super strength, durability, agility and… Mr Stark, what did you call it again?”

“He’s got something I like to call, super equilibrium. He can balance himself on any surface, including his webs.” Tony squared his shoulders a little. He pointed to the webbing. “Trust me, that’s only the beginning.”

“I also have spider sense and can climb walls.” He grinned. This kid… wasn’t showing off, he was just legitimately proud to be around people who had years, decade’s worth of experience and wanted to tell them why he was worth it.

“What… is spider sense?” Antoine asked. “Like I get the rest of it, must have been a hell of a spider but… What?”

“Like a sixth sense.”

“Aw, right. Like eyes on the back of your head kinda thing.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, except, it’s more like a warning system.”

“Awesome,” Rhodey whispered. He leant forward, offering his fist to Peter, he fist bumped it. “Nice seeing you again, kid. These guys are gonna love you.”

“Thanks, Mr Rhodes.”

“Just call me Rhodey, I’m begging you.”

Peter shrugged, ducking his head. “I guess I can do that.”

“Yeah, and call me Tony,” Tony said, patting Peter’s shoulder. “None of this ‘Mr Stark’ business.”

“Okay, Mr– Tony.”

Steve was curious about Peter’s abilities. So, he picked up the remote from the table, and while Peter was distracted by Tony, he threw it at him. Peter whipped his head, picking the remote out of the air as if Steve had yelled ‘catch’ and thrown a fluffy ball at him.

“Steve,” Peter said, scowling at him, “why?”

“I wanted to see how your spider sense worked.” Steve leaned back, smirking. “Now, I know.”

“It’s fascinating,” Bruce said, an excited tint to his tone. He shuffled forward to the edge of the couch. “I mean, what you just did, how you were distracted like that, not even looking, but caught that remote without any effort. And might I add, Steve is a super soldier.” He turned to him. “How much force did you use?”

“Uh… A little more than normal for a game of catch but not as much as I use out in the field.”

Bruce lit up. “See? I’m sure Tony has broken down all your abilities. But what you displayed right there is nothing short of mind-blowing. Magical.”

“I thought magic and science didn’t mix well,” Riley chimed, raising an eyebrow.

Tony waved dismissively. “Depends who you ask. They can go hand in hand if you believe science is the magic of the universe.”

“Yeah…” Sharon murmured. “Like shrinking objects or the Stones.”

“I didn’t know you knew about the Stones,” Bucky said, tilting his head at Sharon. “Do you still research everything at your level?”

“You bet! Gotta stay ahead of the game.”

Pepper patted the space next to her. “Tony, Peter, sit down. If you’re done with this announcement.”

“Before we do,” Tony began, “I wanted to introduce you all to Peter because I believe each and every one of you can nurture him, help to train him to his full potential. So, will you?”

Everyone said yes, of course. Peter beamed at the acceptance.

They all settled into a big overarching chat about how to best train Peter. Everyone had their own opinion on what aspect of Peter’s abilities should be homed in on. The conversation slipped to the skills and powers of all of them, which then ended up with a subject change to whoever else had news.

Bruce stuck up his hand. “I have some interesting news.”

Tony tilted his head. “Oh, what is it?”

“I’m going into space with Thor.”

“Oh, really? Why?” Clint asked. “Not that space isn’t c– Wait, are you dating Thor?”

Bruce gaped at him. “Am I– What? No, I am not dating Thor.”

“Oh my god.” Nat gasped. “He’s totally dating Thor.”

“He just made it sound… fascinating.” Bruce shrugged. “I want a different adventure.”

“Yep,” Bucky said, nodding. “He’s dating Thor for sure.”

“No!”

Peter shifted uncomfortably. “Don’t get on his back about it, that’s not nice.”

“Kid’s right,” Sam said, adjusting his arm around Riley to rest more on his shoulder. “I know from personal experience it’s hard to work yourself out, and maybe Bruce doesn’t realise it yet, but Thor has totally asked him out for a super romantic space road trip.”

Bruce groaned, placing his head in his hands.

“That wasn’t exactly my point.” Peter folded his arms. “But yeah, Bruce, if you find out you like Thor, that’s cool. If not, then it’s just a platonic adventure in space.”

Steve agreed with the kid. They shouldn’t tease Bruce too much about it, but the way it sounded… “Hey, Bruce?” Bruce lifted his head, glaring at Steve. “Just… remember that Thor seemed pretty kinky in 2012.” He winked as he finished his sentence.

Bruce pointed at him, as if to warn him, his face going an intriguing shade of pink. “Don’t, Rogers!”

“Oof,” Riley uttered. “That’s gonna be a hard relationship, one kinky, one not.” He shook his head, sucking a breath through his teeth. “Awfully tragic.”

Peter blinked. “Thor’s kinky?”

“You kinda had to be there…” Bucky said. “It all started with the mention of a muzzle.”

“And rope!” Rhodey said, looking to Nat with a warning glint in his eyes. “Don’t forget the rope.”

Nat raised her hands. “I just mentioned the tool. It was Banner that brought up bonding and Underdahl who brought up bondage.”

Riley chuckled to himself. “Yeah, I did do that, didn’t I? My ribs still hurt from where Sam elbowed me.”

Sam stared at Riley for a second, looking as if he was going to elbow him again. Instead, he smirked. “Your ribs haven’t complained in the bedroom.”

Tony covered Peter’s ears. “That’s enough of this conversation! He’s only fourteen.”

Peter batted Tony’s hands away. “We live in the technological age…”

Tony gasped – loud enough to shut everyone up – and stared at Peter like he’d never seen him before. “No, Parker, not you too.”

Peter shrugged. “I guess you’ll never know.”

“Oh, no,” Pepper breathed. “He’s one of us.”

Steve smiled, placing his arm over the back of the couch. “Yeah… The stubborn, sarcastic, relentless and insane personality type. I know it well.”

Bucky leant towards Peter (even though he was on the opposite couch). “We flock together, most of the family tend to be ‘one of us’.”

Peter tilted his head. “Most of the family? I’m not family?”

“You can be, if you want to. Steve and I have adopted plenty into this family over the years.” He sent a grin towards Nat and Clint. “Including Nat, Clint, Sam and Riley. Tony was the one who adopted Rhodey in.”

“And I never looked back,” Rhodey said, chipper, staring at Tony fondly.

“Neither did I,” Natasha said, speaking quietly. Her eyes slipped to Clint, then to Steve and Bucky.

“I love this shitshow of a family!” Clint exclaimed.

Riley stuck up his hand. “Us too!”

Tony placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder again. “Are you in, kid?”

Peter grinned. “I’m in.”

\--

‘She’s gone in her sleep’.

That was the entire text, and it ripped Steve’s world apart. For what it was worth, Steve thought he was pretty calm as he wordlessly sat on the couch, staring at his phone. He wasn’t angry, wasn’t about to throw or crush his phone. He was just… tired. So tired. It hurt. And it hadn’t been easy visiting Peggy the last few years either. She always got lost in the middle of talking. Sometimes she saw Steve as Jack Thompson of all people, worried about his injury.

Sometimes, she’d thought Angie was still alive. Once, she asked where she was, and Steve had reassured Peggy that Angie was only getting the popcorn ready for them to watch a movie. Peggy always forgot what he’d said before she could worry why Angie wasn’t there.

Bucky came into the room mutely, sitting next to Steve, flipping his own phone around in his hand. There were no tears shed quite yet, just silence and shock. Because Peggy… had been their last tie to their group in the ‘40s. Now, only Steve and Bucky were left with those memories of the parties. Of them first creating SHIELD, all together. Of Angie getting her big break and how happy they were, as friends, as family.

No one else understood that. And no one ever would, because those memories were so unlike anything now.

The whole world had changed. Back then, hover hadn’t taken off. There had been no computers, no holographics, no Arc Reactors. It wasn’t a simpler time, and it wasn’t a better one either… It was different, just different.

Bucky placed his hand over Steve’s, taking it into his own. “The end of an era…”

“The end of a book… Our last chapter with old friends has ended.”

“There’s still Maria.”

Steve closed his eyes. “It’s not the same. She wasn’t in the original five.”

“No… But she’s still here.”

“Yeah, but for how long?”

“Long enough, I hope.”

Tears wheedled out of his closed eyes, slipping off his face with no remorse. “She can’t be gone, Bucky.”

Bucky leaned into him; Steve could feel his tears drip against his clothes. “I can’t believe it either… It’s not real, how is this real? How are we here and so young and they’re not…?”

“Because… Because– Because I signed up for an experiment and was only told I could die, no one ever mentioned this.” Steve choked, his throat closing up. “And you… didn’t have a choice at all. Now, we’re old and we’re not. And they… lived their lives, got to old age and now… Now Peggy’s gone.”

“All the experience of life, Stevie. No one ever tells you living hurts… People say grief gets easier, and we know they’re liars. It never gets easier to lose, and those wounds never heal.” Bucky rubbed his cheek against Steve’s shoulder, as if to hide himself away.

“Yeah, no one ever said grieving stops. Even when it gets better, you only miss them more.”

“We’ll miss them all till our dying day.”

“Whenever that may be.”

Bucky scoffed, his voice thick with sorrow. “Shit…”

Steve hated digging out his funeral clothes. Hated the drive to the church. Hated sitting at the front, because he and Bucky were family. Always had been. He hated how much this tore at him, how the ceremony destroyed his heart. A part of him died, _every time_. And now the herd was thinned, half their family was gone.

The children, all that would be left soon was the children.

Ruth stood tall as she prepared to give a eulogy. She tried to get the first word out three times, but she broke down into tears and ran straight out of the church. Ben quickly followed her, his fiancé following closely behind (a man he’d met roughly six months ago, and boy, how things had progressed with them. Peggy had been proud of him, on her last truly lucid day).

The crowd was perplexed but understanding was in the air. Bucky nudged Steve and angled his head. With a small smile, Steve knew what he was asking. They got up together and walked hand in hand up to the point Ruth had been only a minute ago. Peggy deserved a eulogy of a lifetime, and they couldn’t even say much. She was highly classified still, but she was publicly known to be an ex-Director of SHIELD.

“Peggy… she, uh, lived a true life,” Steve began, squeezing Bucky’s hand. “I knew her for so long, I learnt every expression, every low and high. What her favourite things were, and what she hated with a burning passion.”

Bucky smiled a little. “Peggy loved her schnapps.” That earned a small chuckle. “We all did, back in the ‘40s, when things were changing from the war, when life found a weird normal. We’d be round every few months or so for schnapps.” He ducked his head. “Peggy… was really good at beating us all at board games when drunk. But most of all, she was a true friend when someone needed it.”

“We could talk about her work all damn day, credit every marvellous thing she did. But it’s classified, active cases and whatnot still haunting her name to this day. What I _can_ say though… is she inspired young women who joined the organisation. Young agents who were different and looked up to her as proof they could be anything.”

“Peggy was a brilliant mother, she made sure friends were treated as family. She kept us all together and made us realise when we were being stupid.”

“She always believed in so much. In the good of people, in SHIELD… in everything. And look… she got to die in her sleep and have all of you honour her memory today.”

Bucky frowned, looking over the crowd. “She might be gone, but I swear I can hear her voice now saying, ‘Barnes, you better stop boring people with your blabbering and have some fun’. Because, Pegs, she’d never want us crying or upset.” He chuckled softly to himself. “She’d want us to crack open some schnapps to really honour her memory.”

“Yeah… Pegs was always about living in the moment.” Steve smiled, despite the sadness running through him. “Always.”

As Steve and Bucky stepped down, applause rippled down the pews. Maybe it was okay… to lose. Maybe Steve could deal with funerals after all. Because Peggy would smack them over the heads with a cushion and tell them to live here and now, not in the past.

It was 2016. Not 1946.

Steve… was truly realising that now. Sure, the book ended, but there was always a sequel.


	17. A Titan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo! We're onto the second to last chapter!!
> 
> It doesn't feel like this epic journey should be over yet, but here we are.
> 
> I can only hope the end of it makes the whole journey worth it :)!

The death of King T’Chaka had been so… shocking. Steve and Bucky had long rooted him on, he was good for Wakanda. But… it was the way it all went down. There had been a debate with the UN and some other countries about if they had to consider restricting powered people. With Spiderman, a couple super strong people, a man with a glowing fist and Daredevil all running around in New York, the world’s leaders had decided to see if anything needed to be done.

The place had been bombed right as King T’Chaka was beginning his speech. Prince T’Challa had jumped to save him, if the video footage was anything to go by. But it had been too late. As of yet, there were no leads into who had done it. It was likely the bombs had been on a timer, so, whoever had set them was long gone. They knew exactly what they were doing, and that made them dangerous.

Steve and Bucky had been in Vienna but hadn’t actually been inside the building. They were there as SHIELD in case anyone tried to storm the building, or run up to it with a vest on, or some other shit. Basically, in case anything went wrong on the outside. Unfortunately, it went horribly wrong on the inside. Which made Steve and Bucky’s jobs a lot harder.

They left Nat, Clint and Sharon in Vienna as they took a quinjet to Washington DC. Right now, they needed to be at the Triskelion, to determine if any of this was due to a SHIELD agent who had been present. It was useless staying. If it was SHIELD, the agent would be skilled in evading them.

They trained their recruits well.

By the time they were in their office, towers of boxes filled with files had been set up. They loomed over them as the two began perusing any files on the system that could help. Using both methods allowed them to look at older agents and cases that hadn’t been digitalised yet, and any agent that was still active with them. As well as run a search on bombing cases they’d dealt with that could have been similar.

They hadn’t called the Avengers in yet, and they hoped they didn’t need to.

A couple hours passed, maybe, and as they were beginning to dig through the majority of the files, a person dressed as a panther came into their office. Immediately, Bucky jumped up and withdrew his gun. Steve pressed the button under the desk to make the windows in their office turn black. If they had to turn to drastic measures, Steve didn’t want anyone having the ability to see.

“Who are you?” Steve asked, calmly.

The panther guy stood tall, reached up carefully, and pulled his helmet off. There stood Prince T’Challa. Or was it King T’Challa now? Steve could see the anger and grief in his eyes, he knew the feeling well. T’Challa had just lost his father… But why was he there? It made no sense.

“Agent Romanoff let on that someone at SHIELD could have been responsible,” T’Challa said. “I’m not here to hurt you, I only want answers.” He gestured to his suit. “And this was the easiest way to get in.”

Bucky lowered his gun, returning it to his holster. “We’re experts in anti-corruption and we haven’t found any clues yet.”

T’Challa tilted his head, ever so slightly. “Experts?”

“We’ve been doing this for seventy years,” Steve said. “I have a feeling you know a little of our past.”

“Super soldiers.”

“Yeah… So, we’re experts. Trust us. I don’t think this was a corrupt SHIELD agent.”

“Why should I trust you?”

Bucky glanced to Steve briefly. “Because we’ve been on this Earth long enough to know grief… We might not know anything about you, but that grief you’re feeling? We know that.”

“It’s tearing at you, and you can’t let it.” Steve thinned his lips. “The vengeance is eating at you, and even if we did have a name… You’d kill rather than capture, right? Because I know that feeling too, and I once welcomed it with open arms.”

T’Challa furrowed his brow, slightly. All his expressions were slight. “How… did you get passed that?”

“Practice? And the fact that killing is the easy way out in some cases.” Steve bowed his head. “In other cases, killing was necessary. But when it’s not? Life in prison and isolation hurts a person a lot more.”

“That’s… insightful. Director Rogers.”

“I hope you take my advice on board, Your Highness.”

At that precise moment, Bucky’s phone rang. “Do you mind?”

T’Challa shook his head.

He answered. “Barnes.”

Steve could easily hear the voice on the other end. Agent May, if he was hearing correctly. “The only information we have on a possible attacker is they might have been ex-military, black ops to be precise. It’s their kind of M.O. Some evidence was found at the scene too, DNA of Ulysses Klaue, we believe.”

“Thank you.” He hung up, his eyes sliding to T’Challa.

“You have information, don’t you?”

“The culprit is believed to be ex-military, perhaps black ops. DNA of Ulysses Klaue was found at the scene.”

T’Challa sucked a breath through his teeth as anger settled in his eyes. “Thank you, Director Barnes.”

Bucky nodded to him.

As T’Challa was about to walk off, Steve spoke up, “Remember what I said, Your Highness. At the very least, keep it in mind.”

T’Challa placed his helmet back on. “I will. I can promise you that.”

\--

Nothing came out of the bombing on Steve and Bucky’s side. It seemed like it was a ploy to draw King T’Challa out. Their contact in the CIA had mentioned Everett Ross being pulled to that particular case and had interacted with T’Challa once they’d caught Klaue.

The fallout of it all seemed to be the catalyst for T’Challa setting up a meeting with the UN. It had been a little while since the bombing, so the Vienna International Centre had been rebuilt. He’d invited Steve and Bucky (although, Steve had no idea why). They were at the back, pretty much out of sight. Though, when Steve scanned the crowd, he did pick out Everett Ross, which was interesting.

As T’Challa began speaking, all seemed normal. Sharing knowledge, resources – most likely skills. Who was Steve to say a country didn’t have skills beyond anything the Western world knew? Too many times over the course of history, Westerners had put down and mocked the skills of other cultures out of racism. The speech had a theme of working together. How Wakanda could work to be an example of how people should treat each other (Steve imagined T’Challa was a good leader to his people, someone who cared).

Illusions of division. More connections than separations. When crisis arises, build bridges, not barriers. Find a way, look after each other. It all seemed like sound, wonderful advice. Where it was going, though, Steve didn’t have a clue yet.

And when a committee member asked what a nation of farmers could offer, Steve did not miss the slight smirks that appeared on T’Challa and his friend’s faces. Steve suddenly realised that he’d missed something in the world, something that was apparently going to rock all they knew, from the way T’Challa had spoken. No longer watching from the shadows? Sharing knowledge and resources?

This was big, and that committee member had been foolish to ask that question in the first place. Steve and Bucky had seen T’Challa’s suit, it had been advanced, vibranium if he trusted his instinct on that precious metal.

And when T’Challa kept speaking, mentioning the very metal that had just crossed Steve’s mind…

Yeah, no wonder Wakanda had hidden.

T’Challa smirked a little more. “Believe me when I say, we had hover centuries before you.”

And… that was it. The UN had a collective meltdown as whispers rose. T’Challa continued on, saying as little as he could while disproving everything anyone ever knew about Wakanda. They hadn’t known it at all. Steve hid a smile as frantic questions were fired at T’Challa.

The committee must have known how precious vibranium was, but Wakandans, they had long taken advantage of it, knew exactly what it could be used for.

And back in the ‘40s, they’d used their only supply for a shield. It was a hell of a good shield once, long locked up in Ragtag. But as the grand reveal continued, Steve read between the lines. Vibranium had so many other uses, including the ability to make a country so advanced, it could hide that fact from the world.

Brilliant.

Once T’Challa answered all the questions he felt he could answer, he stepped away, leaving the committee in a confused state. Steve glanced to Everett, who had a knowing look on his face. A proud one. He’d known the secrets before coming here and was happy to see T’Challa step out from the shadows.

What Wakandans knew could help shape the better world they were all aiming towards more so. Sure, they weren’t going to just start selling vibranium, this wasn’t how it was going to work. But what knowledge they would share would be invaluable to the world. If they could shed a light on healthcare. Technology. Anything at all, Steve knew even a scrap of information would be useful.

As Steve and Bucky were heading out, leaving the commotion behind, T’Challa caught up to them. He smiled a little, standing tall before them.

“I wanted to thank you, both of you.” He sighed, clenching his jaw a little. Like he was recalling something painful. “Because of you, I found Klaue sooner. It happened to bring my cousin to me too… He caused the bombing. Unfortunately, I had to kill him to survive.” He glanced away. Definitely a painful memory. “But I kept what you said in mind. I didn’t kill out of vengeance, none of it was about vengeance in the end.”

“It’s complicated?” Bucky asked. At T’Challa’s slight nod, he gave a look of reassurance. “It’s okay, Your Highness. You don’t have to tell us anything. I’m happy you’re alright. That’s what matters. You’re a king now, and you’ll always be an example to your people.” He smiled softly. “I think you’re a good one.”

T’Challa eyed them both. “Are you examples to your organisation?”

Steve thinned his lips, glancing to Bucky, to the pin of SHIELD’s insignia on his lapel. “I suppose so. I hope we’re good ones, since we’ve been helping to run the show since its inception.”

Bucky folded his hands in front of him. “Our peers have made questionable choices over the years; we try to keep the balance.”

“From what I found in your files, I think you are good examples to your people.” He tilted his head slightly. “Maybe you can be a little rash, but I do not know your history.” He pulled something from his pocket. A bead. “Use this to get into contact with me in emergencies. Simply roll your thumb over it.”

Bucky gently took the bead. “Why?”

“Because, one day, the world might need Wakanda’s help. I want to be there when it does.” He gave a slight smile. “You both lead the largest intelligence agency there is. I’m sure you’ll be able to inform me as soon as something happens.”

Steve held out his hand. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

T’Challa shook Steve’s hand. “It’s been good talking to you, Director Rogers.” He shook Bucky’s hand too. “Director Barnes.”

Bucky grinned at T’Challa. “It sounds weird to say this but, we’ll call you when something happens.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

\--

“You’ve got it all wrong, spark plug.”

Tony sighed. “Why do I have to be called that now? I liked monkey better.”

“Eh, I feel like it suits you. Similar to how you started calling me Merlin.” Shuri chuckled. “I’m a wizard, and you play an important role in making the engine start.”

“Ha. Ha.”

Steve and Bucky came into Tony’s lab then. Bucky immediately snuck up behind him and tickled his ribs. Tony yelped while Shuri laughed, her holographic moving fluidly. Shuri’s ideas on improvements had really skyrocketed the holographic progress outside Wakanda. They had better quality, flickered less, and could wrap around and focus on faces during a video call. Very impressive indeed.

“Shuri, my uncles are here!”

Shuri waved, although, she was immediately distracted by something on her side. “Rogers, Barnes. Hi.”

“Shuri… Your brother has started calling us Steve and Bucky now, you apply to that rule too,” Steve chimed in, staring at her firmly. She may have been royal blood, but it was important to Steve that he and Bucky were not referred to Rogers and Barnes on a regular basis with a person who was closer to being a friend now.

Shuri shrugged. “Okay.”

“Did you need something?” Tony asked, spinning in his seat.

“Thor sent a message to us.” Steve folded his arms, resting against one of the many tables. “Asgard was destroyed. His people are refugees and coming to Earth for help… I think something else has happened, something Thor didn’t mention. When we asked, all he said was, Xandar.”

“A planet, probably. A person, maybe? He seemed a little haunted by it,” Bucky said, sitting on a stool. When they’d received the message, he’d gotten a little paranoid by what it could mean.

“That does not sound good,” Shuri whispered. “He gave you no other information?”

“Nothing.”

“When will he be here?”

Steve shrugged; space travel was a tricky thing. “He said soon.”

“Well isn’t this a pickle?” Tony furrowed his brow. “So, why tell me?”

“ _I_ wanted to ask your opinion,” Bucky said, glancing to Steve. What could he say? He thought they should have gone to Nick first, to decide if they should go to the UN to ask if it was okay if the population of another world came to hang with them.

Just as Tony was about to speak, a large orange circle sparked up beside them in the lab. A guy stepped out with greying hair, a red cloak and some weird… robes? Like he was some kind of monk mixed with a wizard. Maybe this guy was Merlin? Doubtful, but… Looked as close to magic as Steve had ever seen. And he’d seen a monolith consume a person before.

“Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes,” he said, noting each of them. He eyed Shuri. “Princess.”

“Who are you?” Steve asked, stepping out in front of everyone. “Why are you here?”

“I’m Doctor Stephen Strange, and I need you to come with me.”

Steve narrowed his eyes.

He tilted his head at Steve. “The fate of the universe is at stake.”

Then… Bruce stepped out of the portal. “Hey guys.”

“You’re supposed to be with Thor,” Tony said, raising his eyebrows. “What happened?”

“Bad shit, Tony.” Bruce gulped. “The Stones, a mad Titan is coming for the Stones.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair. “Shit! Well, he can’t get them, can he? We have them locked up.”

“With the Power Stone he can.”

“Oh… dammit.”

“Who is this Titan?” Tony asked, his eyes the angriest Steve had seen in a long while.

“Thanos,” Bruce said, as if the name was haunted. Cursed. “He's a plague. He invades planets to wipe out half the population. He sent Loki to get the Tesseract for him.”

“Thank god he failed back then,” Steve whispered. “If he gets all six Stones, he’ll be too powerful to stop, won’t he?”

Strange glanced away, wetting his lips like what he was about to say tore at his mind. “He can destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of.”

Shuri barked a laugh despite the moment. “What did you just say?”

Strange glared at her. “This is important.”

She held up a hand. “Sorry, sorry.”

“So, you’re saying there’s a Titan coming to kill us all?” Bucky asked, slowly. Like he was working this out.

Strange narrowed his eyes. “Yes.”

Steve smiled, a little too evilly. “Let him fucking try.” He pulled out his phone and pointed to Bucky. “You call Sam and Riley; I want them at Ragtag.”

“Good strategy. Lots of open air there.”

“Exactly.” He turned to Tony. “I need you to get your suit and Rhodey. If you feel Parker is ready for it, get him too. We need all we can get.”

Tony turned to his computer and opened up another channel. “Where to?”

“I want you at Ragtag.”

Steve called Nat; she was likely with Clint. “Hey?”

“Hi?” Nat said. “You sound shaky.”

“Is Clint with you?”

“Yeah… We’re with his family, why?”

“I need you and Clint at the Guest House. Something big is going to happen, this is a fight for the universe.”

“Shit. Clint! See you, Steve.”

“See you.” He hung up and turned to Bucky who’d finished his call too. Then to Tony, who was speaking with Peter, headphones on.

“Shuri?” Bucky said, looking to her. Seemed like her channel was still open.

“Yes?”

“Do you think your brother can spare some fighters?”

“I’ll go get him!”

Strange raised an eyebrow at Steve. “You’re good at getting your people mobilized.”

“I’ve been doing this since WWII.” Steve shrugged, smiling smugly. “I’d expect to be.”

“What happened on the Statesman, Bruce?” Bucky asked, flipping his phone in his hand. He had this worried look in his eye. They hadn’t seen Bruce since 2016, this wasn’t the reunion they wanted.

Bruce rubbed his arm. “Thanos boarded our ship with his ‘children’ and gunned down a few Asgardians, till he spotted Loki. He’s kind of a good guy now and you know Loki is Thor’s weak spot. And Thanos was torturing him with the Power Stone and was hurting him, tried to break his neck. I was ready to let Hulk out, you know? Then Thor yelled at him to stop and told him the Tesseract and the Sceptre are here. So, Thanos knows. He’s coming.”

“How did you get here?”

“Heimdall sent me, when I kinda hulked out. I landed here and… well.”

“He smashed through the Sanctum,” Strange muttered, bitterly. He sighed, looking down at his weird necklace, gesturing to it. “Inside this, is the Time Stone. Thanos can never get it.”

Steve pursed his lips. “Can you get to a place quickly if I give you the coordinates?”

“Yes.”

He grabbed a scrap of paper, withdrawing the pen he kept in his breast pocket. Swiftly, he scribbled the coordinates onto the paper. “Tell them Director Rogers sent you, tell them apples ain’t lemons.”

Strange took the paper, examining it. “Where and what is it?”

“It’s called Camp Lehigh. There’s a building out of place, keep yourself safe in there. I’ll send SHIELD agents to that location, and any other backup.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you.”

“Thank you.”

“A fight for the universe?!” T’Challa exclaimed, off camera. Shuri appeared back in shot, beaming off to the side, probably at T’Challa. “Shuri!” he shouted, running into the shot next to her. “Oh… Tony. Steve? Bucky?”

“I wish we could trade greetings and how are yous, but,” Bucky dipped his eyesight to the ground, “this is the fight you were waiting for back in 2016.”

“I wish it hadn’t come,” T’Challa said. “Where do you need me?”

“Thanos will be too powerful with the Tesseract. We need you with us, at the Guest House.”

“I’ll send fighters there. And to Ragtag as well?”

Steve was suddenly very glad they’d shared information with T’Challa about the Stones. It made this easier. He stepped forward. “Absolutely. Could you send some to Camp Lehigh too?”

T’Challa’s brow furrowed slightly. “How many Stones are here?”

“Three too many. T’Challa, can you?”

He nodded curtly, smiling a little. “I’ll start mobilizing everyone. I’ll bring our vehicles too; their weapons could be helpful.”

“Thank you.”

He crossed his arms over his chest before walking away. Shuri dipped back into full view. “I have to prepare. I’ll see you.”

Bucky gave a small smile. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

She waved at him dismissively before saying a quick goodbye and logging off. Tony slumped in his chair, Bucky ducked his head, Strange stood tall and Bruce was nervous. Another guy stuck his head through the portal, as if to check on them.

Steve snapped his fingers. “Fury!” He speed-dialled him with no hesitation. He was the only one who could contact the most powerful person they knew. “Nick!”

“Steve?”

“I need you to call Captain Marvel. I also need her at Camp Lehigh, and you too, if you’re up to fighting.”

“What’s happening?” Nick’s voice was calm, but Steve could hear a slight edge to it.

“A real fight. If we lose, it’s possible half the universe could die.”

“Ah, so a normal day then.” A pause. “We can only win,” Nick said sternly. “I’ll call Danvers.”

Steve closed his eyes briefly. “Thank you.”

“And I’ll join the fight, I don’t want half the universe to die.”

“We have everything we need. Fighters, heart, and the will to smash this guy over the head with a brick.”

“See you on the other side, Rogers.”

“See you.”

As soon as Steve hung up, Tony chimed in, “What about Antman?”

Bucky shrugged, picking up his phone again, thumbing his screen and placing it at his ear. “Can’t hurt to try.” There was a pause before, “Hank? Yeah, it’s Bucky. Can you spare a shrinking guy? We might need him.”

\--

Swarms of SHIELD agents stood behind Steve and Bucky. Dora Milaje were lined up perfectly with their special spears. Clint stood atop a solid rock further up the mountain. Nat was slightly behind Bucky, batons firm in her hands. T’Challa stood by Steve, standing tall and mighty. Wakandan battle ships hovered above, weapons at the ready.

A ship gently landed on the ground. It was far enough away from them, but too close for comfort. If war commenced right now, Steve wasn’t sure who would have the upper hand. A large purple man stepped out with an army of what looked to be another sentient species, looked part machine, part organic.

The purple guy had to be Thanos. He had this weird golden armour on, with a gauntlet… Six spaces at the knuckles and one in the centre. A purple looking gem sat in one of them, the Power Stone. Yep, that was definitely their guy.

“I’m not leaving without the Tesseract,” he said simply.

Bucky raised his fancy rifle, Thanos clearly in his sights. “Guess you’ll die then.”

Thanos’s lips curled up in a twisted smile. He raised the hand with the gauntlet. “I stand to gain everything.”

“Which means you have plenty to lose,” Natasha stated, darkness resting in her eyes.

“And you’ll lose it,” T’Challa said. Positioning his hands, tensing to let his panther claws jut out. “Prepare to die.”

Thanos laughed, spreading his arms. “Do you expect to win?!” he boomed.

Steve smiled. He had his old shield on his back, he had his best guns, knives, stunning batons that had their energy turned up to maximum. Prepared. For once in his life he was truly prepared for something like this. “ _Yes_.”


	18. Husbands

Thinking back on it now, maybe Steve wouldn’t have started the fight by swinging his shield straight into Thanos’s head. He’d been caught off guard by it, sure, but it sparked the beginning of the battle. SHIELD agents going against what Steve later found out to be Chitauri. Bullets flying, energy weapons firing everywhere, from both Chitauri and Dora Milaje.

It was any wonder any of them came out of it alive.

The Power Stone had an immense amount of power. Thanos brushed people aside and threw enormous amounts of rubble at them from destroying parts of the mountain. They got reports about the attack on the Guest House by the Outriders. The attack on Camp Lehigh had been orchestrated by Thanos’s children, though, Captain Marvel cleared them out pretty quickly, along with Nick and Hill.

If Steve remembered correctly, Thor came crashing down to their battlefield just as Thanos was approaching the doors to the Guest House. Steve took a moment to compliment his hair, say hello to a tree, and learn Loki was with a raccoon at Ragtag, before Thanos stopped before them. They fought hard, with Thor’s new axe, Nat’s skill, Clint’s delightful exploding arrows, Bucky’s wonderous rifle, and Steve’s old shield.

It wasn’t them who took him down though. And Steve… well. He wasn’t sure if he would laugh at the memory or want to puke from the disgusting details. Because, while it was great that they had been sort of winning by the time Thanos reached the doors of the Guest House… They didn’t expect Antman, or as Steve knew him now, Scott.

He’d expressed that he was busy with personal problems when they’d called him. But that he and the Wasp (Hope) would come to the battlefield as and when they could.

Hope told him not to be an idiot, as she went to Ragtag while Scott went to the Guest House. Steve… wouldn’t say he was an idiot; it was more like his idea was insane, but it worked? He was stupid for doing it, and the team had been permanently scarred for life. All the SHIELD agents present had to be offered therapy, it was that bad.

Steve remembered the lead up to the event very well. Scott said he had an idea. Warned them he could tear himself in half. Bucky got confused by the statement. And Nat laughed before questioning him. Scott had wanted to expand in Thanos’s body. Thor thought it was a brilliant idea, a plan he wished he could have done himself.

Yeah, just remembering it made Steve want to puke. Scott slunk his way in through Thanos’s ear and made his way down and down… Till he expanded to a goddamn giant, and Thanos’s entire purple body exploded into purple blood. With organs on the ground, pulsating as they died off… And–

No, no, he was done reminiscing.

The battle, the entire thing had been crazy from the start. A guy had wanted to kill half of all life. Steve had dealt with a lot of bad people in his life and easily, Thanos was the worst. Captain Marvel had killed all his children. Tony, Rhodey, Peter, Sam and Riley obliterated the Outriders. And Thanos never got his hands on another stone.

But it brought them all together in more ways than one. Without the madness of it all, Steve and Bucky wouldn’t have managed to connect with Carol, joking about Nick and Goose, about Lawson. They wouldn’t have found out about the Guardians, about Groot or Rocket. Thor wouldn’t have gotten a cool artificial eye, although, Nick had protested and claimed eyepatches were worth the mystery.

He wouldn’t be sitting on a couch now, in Stark Tower, watching Scott shrink bananas and figs to throw into the mouths of anyone who would play that game. He wouldn’t be witnessing Carol and Rambeau (a beautiful couple) trying to get Nat to dance with them and let loose a little. They certainly wouldn’t have Thor back in their lives, with Loki (who still had shit to work through, but he was a good guy, a prankster really). He wouldn’t get to witness a drunk Nick trying to learn Groot’s language from Groot himself, Quill and Thor (when Thor wasn’t busy trying to get Valkyrie to ask Nat out). Or see Peter and T’Challa trying to bribe Strange to open a portal so Peter could web Tony’s face, who was taking a brief nap on the armchair at the other side of the room.

Bucky came over to sit by Steve. He’d been chilling with a beer for the last half an hour, in his thoughts. Letting Bucky have some time on his own with a good (aggressive) game of Mouse Trap with Sam and Riley.

“Hey,” Bucky whispered, slinging his arm over Steve. “What were you thinking about?”

“Just how everyone is together now.”

“Weren’t thinking of the battle, were you?”

“Kinda…” Steve turned the bottle in his hand over and over. “We wouldn’t be here, celebrating, if it wasn’t for everyone in this room defending the entire universe.”

Bucky kissed Steve’s cheek. “You did amazing at organising everyone. I can’t believe it’s been two days since that shitshow already.”

“Eh, feels like years maybe.” He chuckled to himself. “I’ve just been wondering if letting Scott do what he did was the right thing to do.”

“Look, I’m glad the bastard is dead. I mean, come on, even HYDRA didn’t want to wipe out half the universe.”

“True… True.”

Bucky folded himself into Steve, resting his ear against his chest. “I love you…”

Steve kissed the top of his head. “I love you too.”

“Will you marry me?”

Steve’s breath hitched like someone had steamrolled over his brain. Had… Really? What? They had avoided this topic for years now. He ran his hand through Bucky’s hair. “Buck, look at me?”

Bucky raised his head, looking bashful. Steve hadn’t seen that look on him to do with their love in decades. “Will you?” His voice was steady, but Steve could hear the fear in it, see it in his eyes.

“Of course I will, sweetheart.” He kissed Bucky, a chaste, wonderful, sweet kiss. He could taste the fruity wine Bucky had been drinking. Beautiful. He kissed the corner of his mouth for good measure as he pulled back. “We never had to avoid this, you know? I would marry you any day, any time.”

Bucky glanced away, a small smile crossing his face as he huffed an amused breath. “We’ve been scared of it, like it could change us. Sure, people change all the time.” He looked back. “We have, our friends have… But… love doesn’t. It’s a burning passion, a promise, a fight to keep going with the person that means everything. Love can die, it can fail, it can fall apart for some people. But it never changes, because I’ve loved you the same way for decades. And my love for you has been the only constant in my life.” He kissed Steve’s forehead. “I want to be tied to you in the last way we can be.”

Steve beamed at Bucky, like he was seeing him for the first time all over again. Their love didn’t need words, it never had. But Bucky had it right, it was the only constant. Had been since… since forever. “I like that… People can change, but love doesn’t. We’re proof of that, we’ve always been proof of that, I think.” He cupped Bucky’s jaw, stroking his cheekbone gently. “I wanna be married to you. I want to finally be able to call you my husband.”

“Yes.” Bucky pressed his lips against Steve’s, slipping his tongue between the seam. Steve opened up to him, like he always would. The kiss was small and brief, with just a touch of heat. But it lingered in a beautiful way, the perfect slide of lips, of tongue and… well, love. Bucky withdrew just an inch. “I wanna call you my husband too.”

“You’re getting married?!” Carol asked, appearing out of nowhere with Rambeau at her side.

Steve nearly jumped out of his skin but managed to stay seated. “Yes, yes, we will be. I don’t know when, but yeah.”

Carol grinned brightly. “Everyone! Listen up! Steve and Bucky are engaged!”

There was a large cheer before Steve and Bucky were swarmed by their family. Nat, Clint, Tony, Rhodey, Sam and Riley practically pounced on them, giving them a ‘group hug’. While the Guardians, Strange, Loki and Nick stayed at the side-lines with smiles on their faces. Thor filled up a large glass of Asgardian ale and tried to shove it into their faces, while Valkyrie smacked her hands on their shoulders, telling them a wedding of two men was the second most beautiful thing two people could do.

Apparently, the first was a wedding of two women, to which Carol, Rambeau and Nat immediately agreed. Whilst Thor cheered again, claiming it to be ultimately true.

Their celebration of a battle won soon turned into a chaotic engagement party. Steve wasn’t sure how he and Bucky made it out alive.

\--

“A ten-foot cake! With every decade as a theme, you know?!”

“Okay, but what about the budget for the suits? Like, what colours are you guys gonna wear?”

“Yeah! Colours! Theme? What are you going to do?!”

“A venue? Where _will_ you get married? There are so many places!”

“What are you doing for food? And are you going super fancy with it or plain and buffet?”

“Please, for the love of everything, shut _up_!” Bucky yelled, not out of anger, just frustration. He rubbed his eyes. “God, I feel like this is the family’s wedding not our own.”

Ruth gasped. “No, come on now.”

“Excuse me?!” Nat exclaimed.

“Aw, does that mean no ten-foot cake?” Clint pouted, to make matters worse.

Christopher flopped back on a couch while Ben shrugged. Even Kenneth was only there for the ride, doing paperwork. (It was still wild to Steve that Kenneth was Peter’s principal, but, they lived in a crazy small world). Sharon was adamant this could only be the best wedding of the entire family. While Antoine wished everyone would realise a bunch of agents, spies and scientists weren’t going to help. Ruth helpfully supplied that a baker, a journalist and a politician could help more so.

“Okay, but colours,” Sam asserted.

Riley huffed a breath. “Okay, _fine_.”

Steve… was in the middle of a stalemate with his family about his and Bucky’s own wedding. He couldn’t even be tactical about it. He wanted something simple, but something that could represent everything they were.

It suddenly hit him with full force. He clicked his fingers. “Bucky, Buck… I know!”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, turning to Steve so much that he was almost on his lap. “Yeah, doll?”

“Jim’s cake. Peggy, Angie, Theo and Lee’s menu. Howard and Maria’s venue, but the other hall, you know? The one they thought about, and we liked, but they didn’t?” Bucky nodded slowly, stroking his chin. “Gabe’s colour scheme, with those blues, and those light yet deep reds. And the yellow golds!”

“Yes, oh my god, Stevie, you’re a genius.”

“I’m not done yet. Remember those suits we wore for Jacques’s wedding? We could get the same kinda suits but with better colours, you know?”

Bucky grabbed Steve’s face and kissed him deep and quick. “Goddamn genius.”

It was all their favourite things. They had been to so many weddings and celebrations, they already knew what they liked, what had gelled with them. And doing this, taking a piece from every wedding they ever went to? It let them have a part of their lost family with them, in their own way.

Because Jim’s cake was the perfect blend of flavours. The venue had made them excited by the characteristics of the place, the rustic yet posh feel. The ‘50s menu Peggy, Angie, Theo and Lee had at their wedding was sublime, and to have it again, maybe to modernise it, would be everything. The colour scheme of Gabe’s had been amazing, they could change it, tweak it, but could let it be a tribute in ways. And those suits… well… it was nothing like the cuts that were popular now. But goddamn, Steve could remember so clearly how desperately he’d peeled Bucky out of the thing.

That was the kind of heat he wanted for their wedding night.

Tony laughed, folding his arms. “One thing about uncle Steve and uncle Bucky some of you don’t understand is, they haven’t gotten much that is truly their own. Plus, they listen to no one. This wedding, the ceremony, it will culminate all their experience and will finally tell us how much they love one another.” He shook his head. “It isn’t for us to interfere or intrude on that. We can only offer advice.”

Ben grinned. “You got it right, cus!”

“Yeah,” Christopher agreed. “You guys need to sit your asses down and let them handle it. Bucky’s a hundred and one and Steve’s almost a hundred. They know what they’re doing by now.”

Nat sat down, sinking into the couch. “I just want their wedding to be perfect.”

“And it will be,” Tony said, sitting next to her. “I know we all want your wedding to be the best we’ve ever seen, but that’s because you’ve both been waiting far too long for it to be here.”

Ben nodded. “Exactly. The ceremony is a peaceful, personal thing. What we _can_ debate about is the honeymoon destination.”

“Yeah,” Sam drawled, leaning forward. “Where do two guys go that have been everywhere?”

Steve shrugged, leaning into Bucky, knocking his shoulder. “Actually, we’ve never been to Hawaii.”

“Really?” Pepper piped up from the floor, where she’d been playing solitaire. To avoid getting involved. “I would have thought you had. With Tony going so much as a kid.”

Bucky sighed, playing with his hands. “We never went on family holidays.”

“You should have,” Ruth whispered. “I always hated that our uncles didn’t come.”

“We never wanted to intrude. We were never _really_ family.”

“And our moms and dads were our adoptive parents.” Ben scoffed. “Didn’t make them any less. They chose you, we all chose you to be with us. Our family.”

“Brothers in arms,” Riley said, his voice a little quiet.

Nat locked eyes with Riley, like she understood what made him so quiet. What made that so personal. “Yeah, brothers.”

“Uncles,” Tony affirmed.

Pepper laughed a small bit. “Uncles-in-law.”

“Grand uncles,” Sharon, Antoine and Kenneth chimed at the same time. They laughed at each other as they realised how in sync they’d been.

“Really? We’re really family to you all?” Steve asked. He’d always worried it had been one big lie, no matter how many times they’d been called uncle over the years.

“You already know it’s a yes. All day, every day, it’s a yes,” Rhodey said. “None of us would be where we are without you. Except, maybe Kenneth.” Kenneth laughed and shook his head, placing another sheet of paperwork down. “But we’d be different people. I know Tony would be different because Howard would have been different.”

“I’d be different because you reminded me every day for a year that I wasn’t a horrible monster,” Nat said, fidgeting. That subject always hit her hard.

“And I’d be dead.” Riley swallowed thickly. Sam stroked his arm. “Even without our team, Sam and I would have been sent out to that same mission. And Rhodey wouldn’t have been there to save me.”

“You see now, don’t you?” Pepper asked, collecting her cards up to shuffle them. “We’ve always been your family, there was never any doubt. That’s why they’re all going crazy trying to make your wedding perfect to who you are… You’ve influenced us in so many different ways. We’re all happy to have you with us.”

“Plus,” Clint began, “you brought us all together so we could be one huge overarching family. Who would I be without Kenneth trying to get my ass back to school?”

“Less educated!” Kenneth shouted with glee.

They all laughed for a brief second before Bucky wiped a tear from his face, drawing everyone’s attention by standing. “I love you all. Thank you.”

“Yeah.” Steve stood as well. “You’re the best family we could ever ask for.”

Everyone rushed them to give them the biggest and most incredible group hug they could.

\--

Steve adjusted his tie for the fiftieth time in the last five minutes. It just… wasn’t perfect? He was already getting withdrawal due to being away from Bucky for two hours. They wanted to surprise each other with their outfits, despite already knowing what the other was wearing. But they hadn’t seen the entire outfit, so it made sense?

Steve was super stressed about the tie though. It was burgundy against his lilac shirt and sky blue suit. A lovely rich colour, but it didn’t sit right? Or the knot wasn’t quite right? Or it wasn’t positioned in the middle exactly.

“God, leave it alone,” Sam said, appearing behind Steve. “He’s not gonna care. You’ve been effectively married for decades.”

“It’s different.” Steve smoothed his fingers down the tie once more before leaving it. “This day should be everything we ever dreamed about all those years ago.”

“So? It doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect. It just needs to be yours.”

He smiled, twisting in the mirror once more, checking, before turning away. “I want it to be good for him.”

“I’m sure he feels the same way for you. It’ll be fine.” Sam patted Steve’s shoulder. “Come on, we better get down there. You have five minutes.”

“Already? Damn. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Keep it together, man.”

“I am, I am. Just… wow, I get to have this.”

Sam smiled at him. “Yes, you get to have this.”

They headed down to the open room, that lay beside the hall. It was airy, let a lot of light in. Had a lot of houseplants that were well looked after. A couple of archways that both led to the gardens. It was beautiful, and they weren’t even in the impressive hall yet. Steve was glad he and Bucky had chosen this venue. It was everything they wanted and needed.

“Well, well, well, Stevie, don’t you look like a snack?” Bucky said, coming up to Steve and taking his hand.

Steve grinned, letting his eyes roam over Bucky’s pastel red suit, teal shirt and cream tie. Goddamn, he looked as beautiful as ever. “You’ll have to save it for the evening, Buck. We’ve got a whole wedding yet.” He leant close to Bucky’s ear, so that Sam and Riley (who had been babysitting them) couldn’t hear. “But, god, Buck, I wanna peel those clothes off you and get my mouth on every sensitive spot you have.”

Bucky made a small noise. He turned his head to Steve’s ear. “If I promise you one thing today, it’ll be that I’m gonna make love to you _so hard_ , you’ll forget the last fifty years of your life.”

“Strong words.”

He kissed his earlobe gently. “I’ve got it all planned, babydoll. Just you wait.”

Steve wanted to wait and have the best wedding of his life. But he also wanted to drag Bucky to their room and help him out of his clothes as quickly as possible. He did suppose he started this game. He had a feeling that would end up being a mistake. Bucky was relentless when it came to teasing.

“You guys done whispering?” Riley asked, looking at his watch. “We’ve gotta go in. Follow in thirty seconds.”

“Gotcha, Riley,” Bucky said, grinning as both Sam and Riley disappeared beyond the doors.

Steve got a small glance in. Their entire family were there, friends too. Everyone they’d ever been close to. It was only a shame that from their old family, only Maria and Mable got to have the chance at watching them get married.

Once their thirty seconds were up, Steve and Bucky walked in. The pianist played a wonderful rendition of an old song Steve couldn’t remember the name of right now. All that mattered was getting up to the altar. He held Bucky’s hand tightly as they walked their own pace. Their family, their friends were looking to them, watching with smiles. No one had rejected their invite, as if this was the biggest event any of them could have asked for.

It took five months to plan it all. Steve couldn’t wait.

They came to a stop at the altar, facing each other and holding both hands now. The pianist softly ended the melody. Their officiate looked at them with a bright expression on, standing tall and proud. Steve and Bucky had gotten to know her a little, and she was more than excited to marry two people as old as they were. They may have not looked it, but they _were_ in their one hundreds. That wasn’t to be taken lightly.

“We are all gathered around today to watch a love so old become tied so tightly, it will never fall apart. A love like this is rare, rarer more so because of who Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes are.” The officiate looked between them. “To have a love last when neither ages is one hell of a process, and the fact that they are here before you today, to show that love, to make it clear, is nothing short of beautiful.” She smiled. “Now, I’ve been given strict instruction from the grooms not to linger on this part so, if you will, say your vows.”

Bucky squeezed Steve’s hands. “I’ve promised you a lot over the years. Staying true to myself, to always be there for you when times are hard. To be fair, those promises had other people involved too. And I’ve never quite promised you something directly. I’ve kept it internal, promising to keep you safe, to stop you doing something stupid, to be at your side no matter what tries to pull us apart.” He ducked his head, smiling slightly. “Today… I wanna promise you everything. You have my whole life in your hands, you always have, and I could say any old spiel. But really, I promise I will never stop loving you. I promise to hold you when times get rough, to wipe away your tears and start anew. I can’t promise the hurt will go away, but I can promise to pick up the pieces this universe breaks away from you and put them back. I love you, doll, to the end of the line, always to the end.”

Steve sniffed, stroking his thumbs over Bucky’s knuckles. He grinned at him, softly. Beautiful words. “We’ve loved each other for so long now, I don’t know what came before, or if I was ever not in love with you. The things we’ve endured, survived, and been through, well, it’s been a wild ride to get here. But I’m glad we’re here, I’m glad you asked me to marry you. You’ve always been the more put together one out of the two of us.” He closed his eyes briefly, smiling, trying to find his words beyond the lump in his throat. “But most of all, you have my heart. So, today, I wanna make sure you know I’ll cherish you in every new way I can. The world is always changing, I promise to experience whatever comes next with you. Most of all, I promise to never let our supply of schnapps dry out.” Bucky barked a laugh, his eyes crinkling just like Steve hoped they would. “Yeah, I’ve loved you, since forever. And I’ll love you for forever more. Lines are infinite, sweetheart, and I’m with you to the end of it. I can certainly promise you that.”

“Beautiful…” the officiate whispered. “The rings!”

Two flying ants came over and kindly dropped one ring into Bucky’s palm and the other into Steve’s. They both grinned, waving to the ants, spotting Scott in the crowd and giving him a thumbs up. He lit up and smiled down at his ants as they landed on his shoulder. Hope reached out with her thumb and beamed. Perhaps the ant gave her a high-five.

“Now, we exchange the rings!” the officiate said excitedly.

Bucky took Steve’s ring finger, easily pushing the gold band on. “This ring is to show you how much I love finally putting a ring on it.”

Steve burst out laughing, bending his knees a little to keep himself from collapsing. Oh… this was why Bucky was the love of his life. He always knew how to draw a laugh from him. “Oh, god,” he whispered, taking Bucky’s finger. “With this ring, Buck, I plead my entire allegiance to you. Everyone will finally understand that we come as a _pair_.”

“A pear?” Bucky asked, leaning in close.

“Nah, wrong pear. It’s pair, not pear.”

“Ohh… Pare?”

Steve grinned and Bucky beamed back. The officiate was practically glowing. Their audience were amused but didn’t laugh, the moment was a tender one between them alone, and their family knew that.

“I pronounce you husbands! You may kiss!”

Steve cupped Bucky’s face and Bucky cupped Steve’s. They reeled each other in till their lips were pressing firmly together. This kiss was like many others in times of great joy. It let their happiness flow freely between them. So effortless and beautiful. Just like their first kiss, it was as easy as breathing. It meant everything and nothing all at once. This was where they were meant to end up. It always was. And they had such a large family surrounding them.

They had succeeded.

The roar of applause leaked into Steve’s hearing as he and Bucky traded a few small kisses before parting. Everyone was on their feet, cheering, applauding, happy for them. They were all _so happy_ for them. Steve grasped Bucky’s hand and raised their joined hands in the air, both of them beaming. They’d done it, they were married.

\--

The menu, the food, was purely gorgeous. They had chosen and remembered well. Those four had always been good at food, so, going with something tried and tested was always going to be the safe option. Maybe Steve and Bucky took the easy way out with planning, since they already knew what they’d wanted. But, who cared? So far, the wedding had been everything Steve had wished for.

He wanted to peel Bucky out of his clothes. Check. The colour scheme made Steve smile and feel warm every time his eyes lingered on a colour. Check. The food had been like a dream. Check. The venue had fit with their styles perfectly, without any trouble. Check. The cake still had to be tested though.

What Steve didn’t expect was Tony standing up and gently hitting his glass with a fork. “Ladies, gentlemen and gentlethem, may I have your attention?”

“No!” Peter shouted. “You may not!” Ned desperately grabbed Peter’s head, smushing his cheeks.

“Parker, I swear to god,” he whispered before kissing Peter gently. Which made him _very_ quiet.

Steve shook with laughter and Bucky banged the table with his fist as he struggled to breathe from his laughing. Why was this wedding so goddamn funny? What had happened all of a sudden? Had the joy made them all high?

“I’m sure you can continue, cousin Tony!” Sharon shouted.

Tony balked, shifting from foot to foot before composing himself. “My uncles here have been through a lot. Perhaps too much. I’ve seen them go crazy over technology. I’ve seen them research topics so they could hold conversations with me about the Arc Reactor. They are fantastic people and I’m glad I can call them my uncles.”

“Same,” Antoine called out.

Ruth nodded.

“I feel ya,” Kenneth said.

Christopher grinned.

“What a mood!” Sharon yelled.

Ben sent finger guns their way.

Tony rolled his eyes shaking his head, amused. “Anyway… I don’t think there are many people better than these two right here. Their whole lives are classified and the people in this room are the only one’s privy to any of that knowledge. And I think that’s amazing, that they can trust so much when they’ve seen so much betrayal.”

Steve bowed his head, thinking briefly on how many they’d lost over corruption. Bucky grasped his hand, pulling him from his thoughts swiftly enough.

“They deserve so much, and they deserve this. They deserved it when they were young but thank god they got it now. I’m glad to see you finally become husbands, Uncle Steve, Uncle Buck.” He raised his glass to them. “And now, if I may, could I show you a video of your original friends?” Tony bit at his bottom lip. “I recorded footage you’ve never seen in 2003, when times looked like they would change.”

Steve looked to Bucky; his eyes almost wide. There was something of their old friends, their old family? “What do you say, Buck?”

Bucky sucked in a breath. “Yeah, go ahead, Tony.”

Tony flicked his phone and a holographic spread itself out in the middle of the room, for all to see. It started with Peggy. Her face was old and wrinkled, yet it was so much younger than how she looked when they last saw her.

“Steve and Bucky, married? Well, they would deserve that more than most,” Peggy said, nodding to herself.

It cut to Angie. “Oh, yes. We all got married in ways, but them? Nah. They love each other so much, I hope it happens one day. We toasted to the future once, I hope their future allows them to be husbands.”

The shot overlaid the beginnings of Howard’s words on Angie contemplating before it cut to him. “Those two being married would be lovely to see. But if I died tomorrow, I’d hope to see it from up there, you know? They deserve the grandest display of love. I only hope they get that, whenever it may be. They’ve got a long while yet, you know?”

It cut back to Peggy; she was smiling softly. “They’ve only ever been Steve and Bucky, to everyone. It would be nice if they were Steve and Bucky in law too.”

The video ended and the holographic faded away as Tony shut it off. “So, as good old auntie Angie said, to the future!”

Everyone raised their glasses, repeating the phrase. “To the future!”

Yeah, Steve wanted the future, wanted to know what it would hold.

“Alright!” Clint said, standing. “We’ve gotta get the music started!”

The tables were shoved out of the way, placed in the corners and at the sides so they were still useful but weren’t in the way. Peter and Ned put themselves in charge of the music, placing a phone in a speaker that effectively blasted all of their ears off, as Ned realised it was on full volume. Steve and Bucky had picked out a playlist that was about twenty-four hours long and while they put it in order of decade, they made sure Peter and Ned had it on shuffle.

While it was organised, the tenth track had to be played first. One of their favourite songs from the ‘40s. They’d danced to it in the comfort of their own home back then. So, they danced to it now. Just a simple ballroom dance, nothing fancy. They could have done Lindy Hop to a ‘30s song or could have picked out a ‘50s piece to do some cool moves to. But, they didn’t, they kept it simple.

They hoped their playlist would shuffle to a Queen song next, or the Cha-Cha Slide. Or even a Madness song, perhaps Tears For Fears? Abba maybe, Steve wouldn’t mind a quick Dancing Queen.

Bucky spun Steve as the song ended, dipping him and kissing him quickly before dragging him back up. Their playlist swiftly changed to the next song. The Mii Channel Music. Peter gasped and Ned yelled. Like… actually yelled. They knew it was meme music, they were _highly_ aware of memes. They may have snuck it in there for laughs, but the Mii channel music would always have a special place in their heart. From all the years of making Miis that were terrifying. With eyes for eyebrows and a nose for a mouth.

Clint dragged Laura onto the dance floor, his kids following closely. Soon, everyone else was scrambling to dance both static and fluid movements to the most influential piece of music of the current time. Although, it was a decade old so… Yeah, it still counted either way.

It didn’t matter, everyone was laughing their heads off as they tried to dance. It didn’t help any of them when Bohemian Rhapsody was the next song. Nor did Mad World, Fun House or Uptown Funk. The playlist was on fire with the best and worst kinds of songs popping up, meme music and old popular music and just good music. But it caused everyone to go mad with laughter each time a new song came on.

There was a point where Shuri collapsed on the floor, clutching her stomach as Africa blared out from the speakers, and Peter went around showing everyone an old vine of a dog dancing to it. For one thing, the reception was insane. For a second thing, the reception was absolutely bonkers. Shuri, Peter and Ned did _not_ help. Them being Gen Z’s and all. The generation of memes.

By the time Steve and Bucky sank onto a couple of chairs, exhausted from seeing memes and dancing to so many songs (Dragostea Din Tei was currently booming in the background, Peter was going insane), they were ready for bed. In so many different ways.

“All this meme music is starting to make me feel like I’m in one huge compilation.” Steve stared at the crowd, watching as the younger generation all pumped their arms into the air. He remembered when he first watched that video, and while he had watched it plenty of times since, nothing would compare to the surprise of the first time.

“Unless we’re in a rip vine one, nahh.”

Steve frowned. “I miss Vine.”

“We all do.” Bucky laughed and stood up, offering his hand to Steve. “Let’s go to the suite, husband.”

Steve glanced around, everyone was having fun. Why not? He placed his hand in Bucky’s. “Let’s go. Husband.”

They sprinted out of the hall – discreetly – to the main lobby, racing upstairs to the rooms, having no remorse for anyone in their path. They were super soldiers, it didn’t take long to get to their room, swipe the keycard and rush in. As Bucky closed the door, Steve crowded him up against it, leaving enough space for him to turn around, smirking up at Steve.

“You said something about peeling off my clothes and getting your mouth on me,” Bucky whispered, his voice so delicate, so innocent.

Steve leant close to Bucky’s ear. “You promised I’d forget the last fifty years of my life.” He trailed kisses down Bucky’s neck, mouthing at a particularly sensitive spot that always got him going. He nipped lightly, teasing the skin. “You better keep that promise.”

Bucky pulled at Steve’s hair, drawing him back. He dove into a kiss, sweet and deep. “Just you wait, babydoll.”

“Waited all day. M’done waiting.”

With one swift movement, Bucky twirled Steve, swapping their positions deliciously. He pressed into him, plunging into his mouth like he was drowning. It was always like this, passionate and energetic. They never went too slow; their pace was always near superhuman. Being who they were, it had to be. Bucky traced Steve’s tongue with his own, sucking at it, and he couldn’t help the moan that burst out of him.

Steve worked his hands up Bucky’s sides, slowly pulling his jacket off. It fell to the floor in a clump, already forgotten. Bucky gently left Steve’s lips, kissing along his jaw. His hands began to roam too, loosening Steve’s tie to pull open his top buttons, his lips finding a place on his neck, sucking ever so lightly. Steve began ripping Bucky’s shirt open, working his way back up to undo his tie slowly, careful not to jostle Bucky. As soon as his shirt and tie landed on the floor, Bucky kissed and sucked at Steve’s collarbone, his hands interested in divesting Steve of his shirt.

They were careful and soft; they were going to literally _peel_ their clothes off each other. As per their plan.

Soon enough, Steve’s shirt found its new home on the floor. Bucky briefly pulled away from Steve to get his tie over his head, but when he pressed back against him, he slotted his thigh between Steve’s legs. _And that was it_. All it really took for Steve to go mad with lust, was one of Bucky’s beautifully thick thighs to pretty much pin him in place.

Steve played with Bucky’s trouser button as he sucked a mark into the spot between his neck and shoulder. It would barely last an hour, which was a shame. But that one downside was nothing compared to the benefits of being super soldiers, they could go all night without breaking too much of a sweat. Steve whimpered as Bucky sunk his teeth in _delightfully_ , teasing the skin. He carefully undid the trouser button, unzipping the fly with a smirk. Bucky froze as Steve inched close, his lips resting against his skin, letting a groan slip as Steve skittered his fingers up his _very_ hard cock.

It was wonderful that after so many years together, they could still work each other up like this. As if their love was brand new, as if they were still exploring. Steve knew he’d never grow tired of this, of Bucky.

He slipped Bucky’s trousers down, kneeling at his feet. Looking up under his long eyelashes, he knew he had the advantage. Bucky’s breath hitched. Steve _loved_ this. Everything about it, from the way Bucky looked, to the overwhelming senses it still brought to him, to the both of them.

“God, Buck, look at you… We’ve barely gotten started.”

Bucky smirked, trying his best to look cocky, smug, but even his extensive skills couldn’t save him here. “What can I say, babydoll? You know how to get me turned on easy.”

Steve nuzzled his cock through his briefs. Bucky moaned softly. “Mmm, that I do. You ready, Buck?”

“Been ready all damn day, Stevie.”

He smiled as he pulled Bucky’s briefs down in one fluid motion, letting his cock spring free. They had all night, Steve was going to treasure every moment, and first, he was treasuring Bucky’s cock.

He locked eyes with Bucky. “I love you.”

“I love yo–”

Bucky never did get to finish that sentence, as Steve wrapped his lips around his cock and sucked gently, licking at it softly. Till Bucky’s moans turned to breathy gasps, then Steve could only leave tenderness behind. When he came, Steve swallowed every dropped down, feeling Bucky harden once again in his mouth. Having no refractory period (thanks to the serum) meant their night could last a long, long while.

Steve lost his trousers and underwear when Bucky dragged him to bed, opening him up deliciously with groans and moans filling the room to such a degree that Steve was sure someone banged on their door at one point.

Steve’s whole world became Bucky as he made love to him so slowly, so wonderfully, his memories ebbed out. He almost forgot his own name by the time they were the third round in, being pounded into the mattress like it was his one purpose.

He wasn’t sure when they stopped, but the sun had risen by the time they had. Wrapped up in each other, peacefully curled up and content. They were married now. They were husbands, finally. It had changed nothing, it couldn’t. It was official now, sure, but a ceremony couldn’t change what was already there.

Endless love.

Steve didn’t know what the world had in store for them next, but he was excited. Truly excited.

Wherever the path led them, Steve would experience it with his husband. His other half. And no one could stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp! That's the end of the journey guys!! I can't believe it's done! :D
> 
> Thank you for all the support along the way <3
> 
> If ya want, come chat with me on [tumblr! :)](https://kateis-cakeis.tumblr.com/)


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